Focus
by Sweedy-sama
Summary: Ryoma is distracted by Tezuka and that's how it all begins. YAOI
1. Focus: Chapter One

**Author's Note: **This is the first time I've ever posted a fic and actually, it's also the first time I had the patience to COMPLETE a fic. Funny thing is, this pairing is not even my favorite one from POT but I just started thinking about them and writing. Not to mention, the story idea for Tezuka/Ryoma actually started as a series of vignettes, but then my brain demanded I first provide relationship background in order to move on to the snippets I want to write, so here it is: three chapters worth of relationship background. Thank you for even reading this. Just to let you know, I am not a professional writer (which will become very obvious) nor will I ever be, so please keep that in mind. And to those party-pooping folks: If you want to waste time flaming, that's fine too, it's _your_ life and breath you're wasting, not mine.

By the way, another warning, I took a LOT of liberties with Tezuka's family background. I only watched the anime which provided little information on that subject. And even if they do decide to give us more info later on, I probably will just keep to my version for the sake of sanity.

Thank you to Sammy-chan for being the first to read this and for being a yaoi fanatic like me. Rabu rabu!

**Disclaimer: **Pretty Prince of Tennis characters do not belong to me, cuz if they did, I assure you there'd be TONS of yaoish kissage scenes by now. It'd be practically yaoi porn.

**Rating: **PG for now

**Focus: Chapter One**

Echizen could not remember when it was that he started staring at Tezuka as he played tennis, but when the realization dawned on him that he was indeed staring, he found it almost impossible to stop himself from doing so.

Not that the action of staring in it of itself was so extraordinary, especially in regards to the Seigaku team's captain. Many of the other team members and even non-team members, both female and male, would stop in their tracks to watch Tezuka play. One must always take the time to stop and stare when a truly great athlete was before one's vision. It was just the thing to do. What was unique about the way Ryoma starred at the young captain was the sheer _intensity_ of his focus. When Ryoma started staring, everything around him ceased to exist. The completeness by which Tezuka-watching overcame his senses would probably surprise even himself. During these moments, the world might as well be sucked into a black hole. Or rather, more appropriately, a white hole since all the background people and noise became just a solid whiteness of nonbeing. All that existed was himself and Tezuka.

And it wasn't solely due to Tezuka's amazing tennis abilities. In addition to the intensity of his gaze, what also set Ryoma's method of starring apart from others was what he was actually focusing on. Normally, when he was watching someone play tennis, he would take in everything related to the game: how the player held the racket, the flex of muscle as he swung it, the distance between the player's feet, and even his opponent's reaction to the swing. In a sense, the player, along with the court and his opponent, became one unit. Everything that might affect how the player would react was considered, even the weather and the angle of the sun.

With Tezuka, Ryoma did not see the racket, the net, the court, or even the opponent. He only saw Tezuka. And not even Tezuka as a whole, more like pieces of the boy that made up the whole. The young tennis prodigy would find himself staring at the curve of Tezuka's elbow (either on one side or the other), the lean muscles of his forearm, the dent behind his knee, the slope of his neck, or even the back of his head. And it did not just end there. His concentrated gaze would at times even further dissect parts of Tezuka's body down to the finer details. For example, when his eyes landed on the back of Tezuka's head, he would start visually picking apart how certain strands of his hair moved differently on one side of his head from the other or how various highlights would only appear when the sun happened to hit at the perfect angle. He would unconsciously spend almost the entire game concentrating on the part of Tezuka that he had unconsciously chosen to focus on while the rest of the world disappeared around him. Sometimes, when the older boy moved too quickly for Ryoma's eyes to catch up with immediately, his heart would actually race a little when he thought he'd lost track of his focal point.

And while staring, random thoughts would sometimes travel through his mind. Once, while staring at Tezuka's wrist, he thought of how it reminded him of an off-white colored mug he had at home that had a picture of Karupin on it. The mug was actually a gag gift from his dad, whom always made fun of the fact that his usually grumpy son would be so kindly attentive to his cat that it almost bordered on obsession. Even though Ryoma had been annoyed with the gift at first, over time, he came to use it so often that it had officially become his own personal mug. Tezuka's wrist reminded him of that mug because it had the same pale beige color and looked to be just as smooth, if the faint impression of veins were discounted. He'd thought about how the cool ceramic of his mug would warm up whenever he poured hot cocoa in it, and then wondered idly if the other boy's wrist would feel as warm. He'd also recalled the hardness of the mug's rim whenever he pressed his mouth against it to sip his drink, and contemplated how Tezuka's wrist might feel if he touched it or even pressed his lips against it.

It never occurred to Ryoma that it might be a little odd for him to be thinking of another boy's wrist in this manner. His mind was basically just a free-for-all, thoughts wandering in and out of it all the time, mostly without him consciously pausing to consider them. Not because he was an airheaded type of person like the coach's granddaughter—it always took Ryoma a while to remember her name—or her equally bubble-headed friend. In a way, one could say that Ryoma had such a laid-back personality that he just didn't give much care to his thoughts. Only during competition did that devil-may-care attitude disappear.

There was another time where the focus of his attention was the slight perspiration on the back of the young captain's neck. Not that Tezuka's opponent—it might have been Kaidoh during one of their practice games—was putting up that much of a challenge to actually cause him to break a sweat. Rather, it was a hot day to begin with and they had just finished warm up laps—30 of them—so Tezuka was already in a state of perspiration when he entered the courts. Tezuka didn't perspire as profusely as some of the other team members. Horio, for example, would look like he'd been dunk in a tub of water; water that also caused him to emit a highly unpleasant scent. For reasons unbeknownst to even himself, Ryoma was pleased about Tezuka's minimal degree of sweating. When the senior perspired, his face and neck would just barely shine with tiny beads of moisture. For that whole game, Ryoma fixated on the back of Tezuka's neck, wondering at the same time why it was only damp, why his sweat was beading instead of dripping, why the dampness seemed to just stay in one place and not run into the collar of his shirt, if Tezuka was at all bothered by how it felt, and if there was a threshold of exertion the older boy had to cross before he would start sweating. Ryoma's thoughts then started veering off into questionable territory as he wondered if the back of the other boy's neck would be warm to the touch, how the texture of his skin would feel there, and if Tezuka would react at all if he should just one day, without prior notice, reach up and actually touch him there. For another person, thoughts like this might have drawn out an embarrassed giggle or two from the thinker. For the prince of tennis, he contemplated all this seriously but with an outward look of immense boredom. The idea of being embarrassed did not cross his mind at all. Strange thoughts were simply birthed, processed, and allowed to move on. He rarely troubled himself to dwell on them.

Although he could not be sure when exactly it was he started developing his fixation on Tezuka—if forced to, he would probably have to say that the match at the Haruno clay courts most likely had something to do with it—he could however pinpoint the moment in which he decided that something must be done about it as the problem had been escalating for some time. Ironically, the person who helped him realize this was the object of his focus.

It was shortly after the Prefectural semi-finals tournament. The members of the Seigaku tennis team were having a regular practice session after school in preparation for the fast approaching Prefectural finals. This day, Ryoma had chosen to stare at Tezuka's shoulder blade, the right one to be exact. So engrossed was he in his examination that he amazingly did not even realize it when Tezuka had stopped playing and was actually standing in front of him speaking to him. It took a few sharp "Echizen!"s from Tezuka and a jab on his arm by Momoshiro before he was jolted out of his self-imposed trance.

"Nani?" he questioned in a slightly befuddled voice.

Momoshiro guffawed and gave the younger boy a few more painful jabs on his arm before saying, "Echizen, were you day-dreaming or something? Tezuka-buchou's been calling your name for the past five minutes!"

Upon catching this, Eiji giggled and piped in with, "Hwaah! Ochibi! Day-dreaming? About what? A girl? A video game? What's for dinner tonight? A way to beat Tezuka?" He nudged Echizen's other arm playfully. At the annoyed look the freshman shot him, Eiji only chortled and nudged him even harder.

"Yeah, he was concentrating so hard, he actually spaced out! I don't think I've ever seen Echizen space out like that! It was damn hilarious!" Momoshiro exclaimed.

Ignoring his senpais' ribbing, Ryoma pulled down the front of his cap and expelled a terse "che" in response.

"Look! He's so embarrassed he's turning red!" Eiji shouted at the consternation of his victim.

"Am not," Ryoma grumbled.

To help staunch the teasing, Tezuka cleared his throat and over the continued twittering of the other two regulars, stated, "Echizen, it's your turn. Momoshiro's your opponent."

His sour look transformed into a smirk at that. Ryoma picked up his racket and then pointing it at Momoshiro, announced, "Momo-senpai, you will not score even one point today."

Relishing the challenge, the second year flashed a toothy grin in response. "Oh yeah?-! You cheeky brat, I'll make you eat your words _and_ your racket after I wipe the court with your ass!"

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In the end, Momoshiro not only managed to score a point, but he actually took two games from Ryoma. The freshman had meant to stand by his words but he became distracted right from the beginning of the match as his mind went back to Tezuka. In particular, he started thinking about a course of action to rid himself of his strange obsession with the senior. As a result, he barely paid attention to the game. He eventually came to the conclusion that the best way to solve his odd problem was to spend more time in Tezuka's company. If they spent more time together, he would most likely find the senior completely uninteresting, and therefore, he would be able to get him out of his system completely. Tezuka would revert back to being the old Tezuka, the guy whom he is forced to listen to because he is the captain of the tennis team and the guy he will eventually, in the very near future, beat. Maybe then, the staring would stop on its own.

It all made perfect logical sense to Ryoma, and most likely to Ryoma alone.

Unfortunately, when he finally swung his full attention back to the match, Momoshiro had already won two games. He had actually been taunting Ryoma non-stop the whole time. With an extremely sour disposition, Ryoma decided on crushing his senpai and sure enough, Momo was not able to score any points after that. They were going at 5 games to 2, in Echizen's favor, when Ryuzaki called an end to practice, much to both players' disappointment.

"Aw, come on, sensei! I was on my way to a comeback!"

"No you weren't," Ryoma muttered, loud enough for his senpai to hear.

"Was too! I was catching my second wind, couldn't you tell?"

"No you weren't. I was crushing you," the younger boy stated bluntly.

"Eh, you wanna finish this and see? Let's finish this! Get back over there and I'll show you, you damn brat." Momo punctuated his threat by wrapping Echizen's head in a fierce bear hug.

Echizen winced as he tried to squirm out of the stranglehold. "Itai."

"Momoshiro, give it a rest," Ryuzaki called out good-naturedly. "It's been a long day for everyone, preserve your energy for when it really matters."

"Tch, you're lucky the obasan's on your side, kid." The older boy finally relinquished his hold on his much shorter kouhai, but not before doing what Ryoma hated the most, next to his suffocating head choke: pull off his cap and ruffle his hair violently. The extremely dirty look Ryoma aimed at Momoshiro was completely lost on the other boy as he had already turned to walk away, laughing loudly.

As the younger boy began gathering his gear, Tezuka came up to him and stopped in front of him. Ryoma looked up at the captain with an irritated expression on his face, still blaming Tezuka for indirectly costing him two games.

"Echizen, you're getting careless. There were several shots by Momoshiro you could have easily returned. We will be facing much tougher opponents in the Regionals than we faced in the Prefecturals. You can't afford that kind of carelessness."

"I know already," he replied irritably while looking off to the side.

"Echizen…," Tezuka paused before continuing, "Is something the matter?"

At that, the younger boy glanced up at the senior with a questioningly look. "I've been noticing you seem distracted. Is there…something you want to talk to me about?"

"Something?" Ryoma thought about it for beat. The timing probably be better so he shrugged and answered with, "Buchou, what are you doing after this?"

Caught off-guard by the apparent nonsequitor, Tezuka blinked a few times. "What?"

"Are you going straight home after you wrap things up here?"

"Uh, yes."

"How long before you can leave?"

Still confused, Tezuka replied haltingly, "I usually meet with Ryuzaki-sensei to discuss tomorrow's activities, but that usually lasts less than an hour. Echizen, why are you…?"

"Good. I'll wait for you then. On the front steps of the school."

With that, Ryoma turned to head off to the locker room but stopped when he realized the senior was still standing there looking at him. Out of the corner of his eyes, the freshman saw that Kachiro and Horio, who had been in the process of picking up the balls, had spotted them talking and were now openly staring at them. Wincing inwardly as he imagined Horio's screeching voice asking him what he and the captain had been conversing about, he urged the Tezuka on by impatiently asking, "Anything else?"

There was, of course, namely why Echizen was acting so strangely. However, seeing that the other boy was in an obvious hurry to go get cleaned up, he decided to just wait until they met up later to discuss the matter. Shaking his head, he then pushed his glasses up on his nose and followed behind the freshman silently.

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It was forty minutes later when Tezuka exited Ryuzaki's office. The school building was already mostly deserted as most club activities had already concluded. There were only two or three students milling about, but even they were in the process of preparing to go home. As the senior headed downstairs to the designated meeting place, he wondered again about what might be bothering the young tennis prodigy. Although no one would ever be able to tell even if they looked carefully, Tezuka had actually been distracted himself. In fact, he had been preoccupied by his own worrisome thoughts ever since his match with Echizen at the Haruno University court. He had been wondering if he might have jumped the gun a bit. Did he in fact create more pressure for the younger boy by doing what he did, even if his intentions were in the right place? He was a little relieved when Echizen seemed fine during his matches with Yuuta and Akutsu, but considering the first-year's behavior for the past couple of days, Tezuka began to have doubts again. In his heart, Tezuka truly wanted Echizen to escape his father's shadow and evolve into a strong tennis player in his own right, if not for the sake of Seigaku, then at least for the sake of himself. From the first moment he saw him play, Tezuka knew the boy would become a force to be reckoned with in the tennis world. At the same time, Tezuka could also tell that Ryoma was being held back by something which prevented him from allowing his full potential to shine through. Once Ryuzaki told him who Echizen's father was, Tezuka immediately realized what that something was. Therefore, even though he knew he would be risking his own tennis career, he never thought twice about helping Ryoma get over the hurdle he had unconsciously erected because of his obsessive drive to beat his dad. Tezuka was certain that once Ryoma stopped playing as a facsimile of his father and started mining from his own inherent abilities, his potential would be boundless. He would be a powerful role model, inspiring those that will come after him through his example. Tezuka believed Echizen would probably be an even stronger leader than himself. With this belief, the young captain therefore resolved to bestow upon Echizen the duty to become the next pillar of Seigaku. He had no doubt that Echizen would be able to continue to lead Seigaku to the Nationals year after year until he was ready to pass his mantle.

Granted, with the freshman's current disposition, he might not be the most likely candidate to be a team captain, but hopefully that would change in time too once he learns to care about his teammates. Perhaps his disposition will evolve along with his talent. After all, even Tezuka knew that he himself wasn't the most personable human being on earth and he always tried to overcome that shortcoming by showing, in other ways, how important his team's well-being is to him. He had long come to terms with the fact that he simply wasn't wired to be expressive about his feelings. If someone were to ask Tezuka when was the last time he let loose with happiness, or even displeasure, the senior would be hard pressed to find such a moment in the history of his relatively short life. At least in that aspect, Ryoma differed from him. The freshman never had a problem showing his displeasure in a blatant manner.

Perhaps this was the perfect time to talk to Echizen about all this, even though it usually wasn't in his nature to be so inquisitive. Even though the means by which the circumstances came about were still a little odd, after all, he never expected Echizen to extend such an invitation, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. Maybe Echizen wanted to talk to him in private about just this very subject that had been troubling himself, that is why the freshman wanted to wait for him after practice like this.

When he opened the front door of the school building, he found the younger boy waiting for him on the steps, just as he said he would be. Ryoma was leaning back against the stairs on his bag, sipping a can of Punta. He greeted Tezuka with a "Sup" before getting up.

Tezuka nodded in greeting, and was about to say something else when Echizen cut him short by asking, "You usually take the train home, don't you?"

"Ah."

"I think I passed by your house once, it isn't that far from mine, even though it's further from school."

Tezuka could only reply in the affirmative. "Wanna walk instead of taking the train?" was Echizen's next question.

The young captain figured that the other boy must want to have more time to talk with him so he nodded and said, "I do walk home sometimes, when we end earlier. I usually take a shortcut through the park, but we don't have to do that."

As they headed out of the schoolyard, Ryoma replied, "No, it's okay. We can use the shortcut."

Tezuka glanced at him, confused again since that dispelled his previous assumption. In actuality, Ryoma felt that taking the train would be counterproductive to his goal since it provided too many distractions and it was over so quickly, they would hardly have spent any time together. Walking on foot, on the other hand, would allow him to absorband process the older boy's presence since for the most part, Tezuka would be the only one next to him. He and Momoshiro usually headed home in this direction and at this time, the streets were mostly quiet as most people were already home, preparing for dinner. He wondered briefly if they would bump into the second year, since if Momo had gone to grab a bite after practice, he would be heading home as well by this time. It hadn't been easy to get rid of the guy earlier. When Ryoma told Momoshiro that he had business to attend to after practice and would therefore not be walking home with him, Momo began accusing Ryoma of secretly meeting with a girl. It annoyed the freshman sometimes how much his senpai reminded him of his father, who always assumed he was going out on a date with some girl every time he left the house for any reason other than school. Nothing Echizen said was able to dissuade Momoshiro of that stupid notion and when Eiji overheard what they were saying, he had joined in on the harassment. To make matters worse, even Inui added to the fray, his notebook and pen at the ready. In the end, it was Oishi who saved him, even though the three upperclassmen continued teasing on their way out at Ryoma's aggravated state.

If Momo knew that he had been waiting for Tezuka all this time, he loathed to think what kind of crazy conclusions the second year would immediately jump to. Not that he really _cared_, in the traditional sense, but it would just be too annoying. The thought of having to come up with an explanation, any explanation, was enough to make him feel tired. He hated explaining his actions. In fact, he disliked conversing with others at all and always tried to keep the lines of communication to a bare minimum. To him, long, drawn-out conversations were completely uninteresting. Why should he care about what anybody thinks? Likewise, why would anyone care about what he thinks? Ideally, people should just pass through life saying as little as possible. Echizen wasn't sure if this distaste for conversation was the result of having to deal with his father's boisterous nature, but he did know that it bored him endlessly whenever his father tried to talk to him. Part of the problem may be the subject matter Nanjiroh usually would bring up. When he wasn't making fun of the fact that Ryoma still hadn't caught up to his old man in tennis, he would be making insinuations about his son's social life, or one he may soon acquire since he was "at that age" as the old fart liked to say with many obnoxiously leering eyewinks. Once, Ryoma's mother had scolded her husband severely about his immaturity and had actually forced him to have a serious talk with his son. The horrifying outcome of that still made Ryoma shudder at the memory.

As a result of his acquired disdain for conversing, he always thought Tezuka's reticent nature a virtue. Unlike Momoshiro, who would either be blathering about some inane topic or singing some ridiculous ad-libbed song, Tezuka was silent as he walked by his side. It was a pleasant change. He definitely wouldn't mind walking home with the senior again, maybe even as soon as tomorrow if he could get rid of Momoshiro. He wasn't sure at this point if this would really help cure his staring problem, but he decided it couldn't hurt. If increased time spent with Tezuka did not help him overcome his strange fixation, he'll figure out something else eventually. Either way, Tezuka wasn't bad company.

What Ryoma didn't know was that Tezuka had actually been trying to catch his eye for some time now, as an invitation to _start_ a conversation. The captain was so certain that Echizen was troubled and had something to discuss. Why else would he go through the trouble of waiting close to an hour for him? But the younger boy was being perplexingly quiet and seemed content on just walking together. It wasn't that Tezuka minded. He had always been going home alone from school ever since he became team captain. He missed the days when he would head home with other students. He didn't contribute much to their conversations, but he enjoyed their bustling presence. It felt less lonely. Still, it was strange that here they were already cutting through the park and halfway to Tezuka's home and Ryoma still had not said a word. Was Echizen waiting for _him_ to say something first? Perhaps that was it. The two of them were much alike in that sense, people of little words. So he cleared his throat—the sudden noise caused Ryoma to jerk a little in surprise—and asked, "Did you…have something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Ryoma frowned slightly at the unexpected question and shrugging his shoulders, casually replied, "Not particularly."

A very faint furrow appeared on the bridge of Tezuka's nose, the only indication of how mystified he was. If Echizen didn't have anything to say to him, if he hadn't meant to discuss what had been bothering him, then what was this all about? Why did he wait for him after school and ask to accompany him home?

"Why, is this bothering you?" Ryoma asked one eyebrow cocked.

Tezuka looked down at him with as close to a bewildered look as the senior could ever manage. "I-ie." He paused. "I just…thought you had something to discuss with me."

"No. Do I have to have a reason?"

"I guess not," the older boy replied dumbly.

"Good. Then why don't we do this again tomorrow?"

"Eh?" The senior was at a complete loss. "Don't you usually go home with Momoshiro?"

Ryoma shrugged again. "Momo-senpai could walk by himself."

A long silence ensued as Tezuka digested the freshman's words. "Echizen," he said finally. "Are you having problems in tennis?"

Ryoma shot him an incredulous look. "Does it look like I'm having problems in tennis?"

"But you've been distracted."

"I know. That's why I've decided to do something about it."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You probably won't. It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it."

_What is he talking about? _Tezuka wondered. He was confounded. He wanted to press the issue more and figure out what the other boy meant exactly, but it wasn't in his nature to be so blunt, especially since Echizen had already indicated that his problem was not related to anything on the court. That would imply that it was an issue most likely beyond Tezuka's expertise, but then why would going home with him like this help the freshman. Tezuka's mind was drawing a complete blank.

"Buchou?" At the sound of Ryoma's voice, Tezuka realized that he had been staring off into space like the freshman had done earlier. The irony was not lost on Echizen, who had a smirk plastered on his face. "Are you gonna go in?"

Tezuka blinked and upon turning his head in the direction Ryoma was indicating, realized they had already arrived in front of his house. He frowned at the fact that the younger boy once again caught him off guard—twice in a day was really a record. Not knowing what else to say, and seeing that Ryoma was not going to offer anything else, Tezuka had no choice but to nod once as a good-bye and after unlocking his door, headed in without another word.

Ryoma stayed outside his door for a few seconds more before continuing on his way home, smirking the whole way as he recalled the dumb look on his esteemed captain's usually expressionless face.

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For the next couple of days, Echizen waited for Tezuka after practice so that they could walk home together. At first, the freshman had some problems coming up with a probable explanation to give Momoshiro, but then an idea struck when he was in computer class. He simply told the second year that his computer broke at home so he had to use the one in the library to finish homework for now. He even told Tezuka to meet him at the library just to complete the story. Lying was not a hard thing for Echizen as he was used to doing so to his father in order to evade his nosiness. The only difference between those other times and this one was that when he lied to his father, it had never been for the purpose of hiding something because he didn't want anyone to know. While in this instance, he believed it was just easier to lie.

As for the captain, even though he was still thoroughly puzzled about Echizen, he decided to just accept the situation for now since he did enjoy the company.

As to Ryoma's original problem which was what brought about this whole affair, spending more time with Tezuka did not, in fact, help. If anything, it only made things worse. Whereas before, he would only stare at the senior when he was playing, he now stole looks at Tezuka frequently even when he was off the court, especially when they were walking home. He realized he actually quite enjoyed looking at Tezuka. If he were forced to explain what he found so appealing about the older boy, Echizen would probably have to say that he found the captain's stern profile somewhat intriguing. He liked tracing Tezuka's face with his eyes, starting from the tip of his rather sharp chin up to the midpoint of his bangs. He rarely got past that point, peeking from underneath the brim of his cap; any higher would have required him to actually turn and tip his head back since there was quite a difference in their heights. It wasn't as if he was too shy to stare at the senior directly, but somehow, he felt it unnecessary to make such an extreme motion just to look at the other boy. He rather enjoyed simply sneaking a glance up at the captain from underneath his cap from time to time as they walked home together. There were times when Tezuka even caught him doing so, as Ryoma would find himself meeting the other boy's eyes. Most people, upon being caught staring, would quickly look away, embarrassed. Since Ryoma was rather obliviously unabashed, he simply continued holding Tezuka's eyes while one corner of his mouth quirked up in a slight smile.

Tezuka had never really blushed before; there had never been the occasion to blush in his entire life. But in those moments, he would feel a general awkwardness and a faint heat in his cheeks that would cause him to be the first to look away, not knowing what else to do.

This game of silently walking and watching went on for a bit before Ryoma suddenly came to the realization one day that as much as he hated conversing, he actually developed a liking to the sound of Tezuka's voice and therefore wanted to hear it more often. Amazingly, he wanted to draw the captain into an actual _conversation. _This was so highly uncharacteristic of him that even he was taken aback when the thought struck him. He had been so pleased with the non-conversational state of their time together that it was almost inconceivable to him that he would now want to shatter it by himself. He was so astonished by this idea that he found himself ruminating over it for a couple of days before even acting on it. It was such a riddle to him that he actually became annoyed, more so than usual, when anyone dared to interrupt him during his contemplation. The mere idea that he would be spending time contemplating something for more than one minute, instead of just accepting and moving on, was in it of itself a novelty. What was _wrong_ with Tezuka? What was so special about the older boy that he would actually bring out this alien desire to _chat_ in himself? Even the word itself—chat—was distasteful enough to cause the young tennis player to frown in disapproval.

However, just as with all other obstacles, Ryoma not only rose to meet the challenge but also learned to conquer it. Therefore, one day, out of the blue, he decided to share with Tezuka a thought he had for quite some time.

"The schools here assign more homework than the ones in America."

If Ryoma noticed the captain twitch in surprise—which, in another person would have been equivalent to jumping 10 feet in the air—at the sudden sound of the freshman's voice, he gave no indication of it. "Nani?"

"It takes me hours to finish every day, even though most of it is really easy. Except for math, maybe."

"Oh. Is that so?"

"When I was in America, I would be done with homework by the time lunch break is over. I barely have time to play tennis with the old man after I came to Japan because of homework."

It seemed such an innocuous subject to Tezuka. Was there an actual purpose to this topic? Was he trying to lead into something about tennis? "So, you're worried you won't have enough time to practice?"

Ryoma shrugged. "No. I just find it a nuisance. I don't understand why they have to assign so much in one night. I never minded it before because I never had to deal with it after school."

Tezuka glanced down at the younger boy. "So…you need time off from practice to do schoolwork?"

Ryoma shot the captain a look that obviously indicated he was out of his mind. "Why would I need that? That's not going to reduce the amount of work I have to do."

"You just said…"

"Who cares about homework? Why would I stop playing tennis just to finish it?"

Tezuka was so confused at this point that he decided the best thing to do was just keep his mouth shut. If it wasn't about tennis, or homework, then he had no idea what Ryoma was talking about.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

It was such an incredible question, more as a result of the person who was asking it rather than the actual question itself, that Tezuka had to look down at the younger boy again just to make sure his leg wasn't being pulled. But Ryoma was only staring back at him expectantly.

After a few seconds, the freshman shrugged again and looked away. "Alright, never mind."

Tezuka could barely get over the fact that the pot had just called the kettle black. Not to mention he had never heard Echizen utter so many sentences all at once. When he finally got use to the notion, and came to the startling conclusion that the lower classman had been trying to just _have a conversation with him_, he needed a few more minutes to digest that information. He wasn't prone to conversations. Mostly because he didn't really have much to contribute to them; secondly because he always believed actions spoke louder than words. Conversations did not start with Tezuka; conversations went to Tezuka to die. It wasn't a trait that the senior was exactly proud of, since he always wondered if it wasn't more appropriate for a team captain to be more vociferous. Then again, he wasn't exactly sure how to go about changing that aspect of himself so he never really put in the effort to do so. When he first met the other seniors, especially Fuji and Eiji, they had tried to pull him out of his shell; eventually, it seemed that they had either given up or simply chose to appreciate him for how he was. Tezuka hoped it was the latter, just as he appreciated this similar quiet quality in the freshman. But now alone and faced with a rather chatty Echizen, he found he felt bit awkward about his assumptions about the younger boy. He was beginning to wonder, other than his certainty about Ryoma's skills as a tennis player, how much of his personality did he misconstrue. He felt not a little sense of alarm that maybe in focusing on Echizen as a tennis player and future pillar of Seigaku, he had forgotten about Echizen the person and the many facets of personality that made up that person.

It was at that moment that he decided that from now on, since his trust in Ryoma's abilities will remain unshaken, he would also invest more time in learning about the freshman. He would try to understand Echizen Ryoma the person.

With that in mind, he cleared his throat and tried to support Ryoma's attempt at conversation by offering feedback of his own. "Perhaps it's the difference in school systems."

It took a beat for Ryoma to figure out what the Tezuka was talking about, since he had already decided that the captain enjoyed conversing even less than he did his mind had already moved on to other things. Namely, food. "Hah?"

"Ahem, you mentioned when you were back in America, you didn't have to do as much homework. I've heard that our school system is more rigid. You didn't have to go to Saturday classes in America, did you?"

Ryoma blinked. "Yeah, that's true. I don't feel that I'm learning more here though. Especially in English."

"That's hardly surprising, considering you've spoken it most of your life. But are you having any problems in any of the subjects? You mentioned math…."

"It just takes me longer to finish it."

On weekends when he had time, Tezuka sometimes tutored as a part-time job. He wondered if he should offer to help Echizen in his studies, but before he could bring it up, the younger boy asked, "Na, buchou, are you hungry?"

The abrupt change in subject was almost disorienting to the upperclassman. "Hungry?"

"Do you need to go home for supper?"

His grandparents usually put aside his portion of supper for reheating since they went to bed earlier and therefore ate earlier. At times, by the time he finally made it home from school, they were already preparing to retire for the evening. They were extremely early risers. Because of tennis, he rarely got to eat dinner with his grandparents on weekdays, but they would keep him company drinking tea while he ate. If he was going to dine outside, which was rare and actually only happened when he went out with the team to Taka's sushi restaurant to celebrate their victory, he would at least call home to let them know not to wait up and the dinner would be saved for lunch next day.

"Iie, I only need to call my grandparents to let them know," he replied.

"Wanna go grab something to eat? We could go to McDonald's. I sometimes eat there after school with Momo-senpai."

"Uh, sure."

Ryoma smiled. "Good. Let's go eat together."

Tezuka could think of little else to do but to follow Ryoma's lead.

O

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In such a slow but certain manner, Ryoma and Tezuka's relationship began, with Ryoma as the initiator each step of the way, the set pattern for the rest of their relationship. And it wasn't because the young tennis prodigy was taking charge intentionally: an idea would strike him, and as would be in character for him, he would voice it without reservations. Tezuka would, in turn, go along with it. The senior was never good at social relationships in general, in this case, he found he was unsure what to do other than passively follow along. Ironically, despite the young captain's passiveness, in the end, Tezuka was actually the first to realize the truth behind Ryoma's sudden interest in him. Upon discovering this, he was greatly relieved since everything finally made perfect sense. Ryoma wasn't experiencing any personal problems relating to his family, school, or tennis, he was simply attracted to Tezuka.

Not that that idea didn't bring about a whole new set of worries by itself. Tezuka had never dated anyone before. In fact, he had never even been attracted to anyone, female or male. While he was not a stranger to other people expressing their admiration for him—you couldn't be the captain and arguably the best player of the infamous Seigaku tennis team without ever receiving love letters and gifts on both Valentine's and White Day from secret and not-so-secret admirers—he had never once reciprocated those sentiments. Therefore, when he realized that Ryoma was doing just that, expressing his romantic interest in him, albeit in a much more roundabout and ultimately less awkward way, he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. He wasn't sure what to do about it, or if he needed to even _do_ anything about it since Ryoma seemed to be handling things pretty well in that department. Everything seemed to simply be running on some natural course set by the younger boy. Tezuka almost felt as if all he really had to do was show up. Contrary to this instance, he had never taken such a passive role in any aspect of his life, but he decided it was probably the best thing to do for now. It was obvious Ryoma himself hadn't realized where all this time spent together was heading; perhaps it would be best just to go with the flow until the freshman figured it out himself. If nothing else, it would probably be the least embarrassing method for the younger boy.

Recognizing Ryoma's attraction was one thing, deciding how _he_ felt about the younger boy was another. Tezuka wasn't sure if he was in fact unconsciously reciprocating Echizen's attentions by agreeing to spend so much time with the freshman. All he knew, for certain, was that he enjoyed their time together and he would like to see how far Ryoma was going to take them. Could this inactiveness be his unconscious way of returning the other boy's feelings? And was this therefore how it felt to be in love then? Somehow, Tezuka always thought it would carry more of a punch. He was almost tempted to ask someone about it, since he didn't want to be taking Echizen for granted, but he was hard pressed to decide on whom to ask. While Fuji knew him the best even though Oishi knew him the longest, none of them ever really broached the subject of their social lives. Fuji did on occasion tease Tezuka about his many admirers, but it had only been superficial teasing. Conversely, the young captain had no idea if Fuji had ever dated anyone himself. He could not recall ever seeing the tensai being close to any other girl or boy. The only person he really talked about was his siblings, especially his brother Yuuta. Then again, had he ever really paid attention unless it had something to do with Fuji's tennis? Being a private person himself, Tezuka had never tried to delve into other people's personal lives, long-time friend or not. Oishi was in the same category as Fuji. Not to mention, he instinctively knew that he would probably give Oishi a heart attack if he were to discuss something like this with him. Other than Fuji and Oishi, there really wasn't anybody else he'd seriously consider asking about this subject. Even though he knew Inui almost as long as he knew Oishi, they were never really close so he would feel even less comfortable talking to him about something so sensitive. As for the rest of the team, just the thought of their names brought his consideration to a full stop.

So he had little choice but to hope that he wasn't doing anything wrong by not really doing anything. If he had taken a moment to wonder why he was even worried about this at all if he wasn't interested in Ryoma in the least, he probably would have been able to figure out a lot more about his own feelings.

O

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"Na, buchou, are you busy Sunday?"

It had been a rather busy day, both during school and practice, so instead of walking home or going to McDonald's, the two of them were resting on the bench at the park, watching the ducks fishing for food in the pond. It was well after dusk and the park lights were already on. Once in a while, couples or families would walk by to their far left, as it was past dinnertime for most people and the flower bordered path that ran through most of the park was perfect for an after-meal stroll. While the two of them would occasionally people-watch instead of staring at the ducks, no one really paid them any heed. There was nothing more uninteresting than two serious looking teenage boys sitting side by side in mutual silence, despite the fact that they were both physically attractive young men.

"Sunday?" Tezuka replied absently.

"There's this movie I wanna see."

It would be the second time they went to see a movie together. It was Tezuka's third time he ever went to a theatre. His grandparents had brought him once when he was younger.

"I have to help my grandfather in the garden in the morning and then tutoring until 2 but that's it."

"I'll come by after two then."

Ryoma took Tezuka's non-reply as an affirmative. When he first asked Tezuka out to the movies, it was triggered by an advertisement he spotted on a flyer at school. The movie they saw was actually horribly mediocre, but Ryoma still enjoyed it. In fact, it had been a very pleasant outing overall since after the movie, Tezuka agreed to Ryoma's suggestion that they stop at a Hirosue's for ice cream. Ryoma had ordered two Super Deluxe Edition Strawberry Chocolate parfaits for himself but ended up splitting the second one with Tezuka. He even had some of what Tezuka ordered, which was a chocolate banana concoction of some sort, and decided that he would order that next time. The only small hitch, if it could even be considered that, to the day was that on their way out of the ice cream parlor, they had spotted Akutsu and that freshman manager of the Yamabuki team. Echizen couldn't recall his name—it was either Dan or Ran. Thankfully, the two of them weren't looking in Tezuka and Echizen's direction. Not that Echizen still harbored any grudges against Akutsu. He did soundly defeat the guy, after all, it was only right for him to show a little winner's grace as a sign of good sportsmanship. He just wasn't too excited about saying hi so he was relieved when the two Yamabuki students missed them. Despite that, the ice cream was delicious so it was a good place to stop at after the movies. He was glad that they would be visiting Hirosue's again so soon.

A duck waddled up to the two of them at that moment, making a loud fuss. Ryoma guessed it was probably demanding food so he started rummaging in his bag for something. Coming up empty handed, he could only shrug and apologize to the duck. After quacking a few more times, the animal fluttered its wings and then waddled back into the pond, leaving behind a few loose feathers, one of which landed on Ryoma's shoe. Both of them spotted the wayward feather at the same time and simultaneously bent down to brush it off. Of course the inevitable happened and their heads knocked soundly against one another. They mirrored each other by uttering a soft sound of pain while covering their foreheads with their own hands. When Ryoma realized what had happened, and what a funny picture they must make, he started chuckling softly. It took Tezuka a beat later to realize the comedy of their situation and he answered with soft laughter of his own. Echizen could not recall ever seeing the captain laugh, much less smile. The sight of it filled him with a strange sense of…something. Ever since meeting Tezuka, Ryoma started feeling a lot of strange somethings that he could not put a name to since they were so new to him. Like now, he had no idea what this sudden rush of feeling was called but they were making his eyes focus on the senior's lips of their own accord. Just like how it was on the court, the whole world disappeared when Ryoma's attention became fixated on the captain.

When Tezuka realized Ryoma had suddenly stopped laughing and was staring at his face intently, he became still. After an eternal beat, Ryoma whispered Tezuka's name in a weird breathy way and touched his lips to the senior's.

As soon as their lips came in contact, they were jolted back to the present and they pulled back almost instantaneously. For one of the few times in his life, Tezuka's stoic demeanor cracked. The look he had was a reflection of the wide-eyed incredulousness on Ryoma's face. Even though the initiation of their first kiss was something out of a romance novel, they were both completely taken by surprise by its actual occurrence. They looked away from one another in the next second, both filled with a sense of perplexity. They were too inexperienced in these matters to be embarrassed. Ryoma frowned. _What was that all about? _he wondered. He definitely hadn't been intending to do _that _when he came here with Tezuka today or any day. But, like with everything else when it came to the young tennis player, he gradually accepted that it did happen and almost in the next instant decided that it was definitely interesting. It wasn't good, however. Even though he had never kissed anyone before, he was pretty sure kissing should be a bit better than that, based upon the books he'd read and the movies he'd seen. Not to mention the fact that if kissing was really that mediocre, why would all the couples in the world do it so much and so often. Unless they were really bored and there really wasn't anything else a couple could do. He found that hard to believe. So the problem had to be with Tezuka and him. They must not have done it right.

He glanced at Tezuka, who was staring down at his hands, with the ever-present expressionless visage firmly in place though his cheeks were slightly colored. He was still a bit awestruck at what had just transpired.

"What did you think?"

At the sound of Ryoma's voice, Tezuka's head shot up to meet his eyes. When the younger boy's question finally penetrated the fog around his mind, he could only blink in response at the sheer strangeness of the question.

"It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either, right?" Ryoma supplied for him.

Tezuka remained silent and blinking.

"Do you want to try it again?"

The young captain finally found his voice. "What?"

"Let's try it again."

Tezuka could only watch in silent bewilderment as Echizen tilted his head and bent forward to touch his lips to the older boy's again. When they were only a breath apart, Ryoma tsked irritably and pulled back. "Your glasses," he grumbled, as if that would explain everything.

Tezuka's hand flew to the object in question. Ryoma frowned at him. "Take them off. They hurt my face."

In a daze, the young captain did as told. Before moving forward again, Ryoma cocked his head to look at Tezuka. He smirked and commented, "You look funny without your glasses, buchou."

This time, the kiss connected, but it was nothing more than the pressing of lips. Ryoma was not shy in showing his disappointment when it was over. "There has to be more to it than this."

The entire situation was so surreal to Tezuka that he could only think of one thing to say. "Gomen."

Ryoma waved his hand dismissively. "I don't think it's your fault."

The freshman leaned back in his seat and thought about it. "Maybe we're just doing something wrong."

Echizen's seriousness in contemplating the matter made Tezuka feel as if he should perhaps be doing the same. He personally didn't think there was anything wrong with the kiss. It was just a bit of a shock that it happened so soon when he wasn't even sure how he felt about the other boy, and when he was pretty certain Ryoma in return still had no clue about how he felt about Tezuka. Did all relationships begin with so much uncertainty? Somehow, it seemed a bit frivolous if that were true. Then again, if they had really skipped ten steps ahead by kissing when so much vagueness was still present, was that really a problem? Maybe experienced people did it the right way, in proper order, but what about inexperienced people like them? Perhaps this was how inexperienced people moved in relationships. And who knows, perhaps jumping ahead as they have done would actually in the end help clarify some of the steps they've missed. Or at least, he hoped so.

More importantly, the kiss wasn't so bad. But if Echizen found it so inadequate, then something should probably be done about it. A wild idea popped into his head.

"We could practice," Tezuka suggested in a very low voice.

Ryoma looked up at the older boy. "Practice what?"

Tezuka cleared his throat. His cheeks flushed with heat in the second blush of his life. In the dimness of the park lights, Ryoma missed it. "Kissing," he replied, barely audible.

Ryoma rested his head on his hand and thought about it for a bit. "Heeh, that's not a bad idea, buchou," he concluded.

"Echizen…," Tezuka hesitated. It was something he had meant to say for a while already, ever since they started spending more time together, but he never thought it was that important until now.

Ryoma lifted his eyebrows expectantly. "You don't…maybe when we're not at school, or at a game, you don't always have to call me buchou."

The young tennis prodigy shot his captain one of his rare smiles as he replied, "Alright, Tezuka."


	2. Focus: Chapter Two

**Rating: **Still PG-13

**Focus: Chapter Two**

So practice kissing they did. And they did it at that very park bench, after practice each day for the following days. It was really an ideal location: they were out of the way of the main path and partially hidden by bushes. Though the cover wasn't complete—it wasn't impossible to see them if a person really wanted to—it was adequate. As far as Ryoma was concerned, people could watch if they wanted; he wasn't ashamed at what they were doing, as long as they weren't interrupted.

Unfortunately, they hadn't been practicing for more than a couple of days before their activity did encounter an interruption of sorts. Apparently, they weren't the only people who knew about the private spot. One day, upon arriving at the bench, they found that it was already occupied by another couple. Echizen clucked in annoyance at the oblivious couple who were sitting at their bench, engaged in the pastime he and Tezuka had been trying to perfect. He was also disappointed since he believed that they were truly improving in technique. Whereas with their first kiss he had felt almost nothing, now he was actually beginning to feel strange sensations in other parts of his body when Tezuka kissed him. And Tezuka was only kissing him; their bodies did not even come into contact. Their hands would remain in their individual laps or on the bench itself. Still, if he was feeling something in places other than his lips, that must mean their kissing was getting better. In fact, Ryoma actually started thinking about getting more involved with the kissing. He'd seen other couples kiss before, even at school, and there was definitely more physical contact than just the lips. Therefore, he had decided during practice today that he would try touching Tezuka's face and maybe even other parts of his body—like the back of his neck—to see how that might change things. He might even try using his tongue; he read about French kissing the night before on the Internet when he was trying to get ideas. With these thoughts in mind, he had really been looking forward to this time of the day, so to have it spoiled by the presence of some annoying strangers was a complete let-down to say the least.

Tezuka, on the other hand, was both disappointed and relieved: disappointed because he too had started to look forward to their activities on the bench, relieved because he was becoming more alarmed at his own rising desire to do more than just kiss. For the last day or two, he had to actually clutch his hands in tight fists to prevent them from grabbing a hold of Ryoma in some manner, be it his face, neck, arms, anything, to pull the younger boy even closer. He was worried that doing so without giving the freshman some prior warning might upset or offend the younger boy. Were the some rules regarding etiquette in situations like these? There had to be. The least he should do was probably ask the other boy if it was okay, yet, at the same time, he couldn't really bring himself to ask for permission. The worse part of it was, his body was definitely responding to the kissing and yesterday, he caught himself imagining, more than once, kissing other parts of his partner's body. He hoped that these were normal reactions for a teenager like himself, but it still disturbed him nonetheless as he somehow felt it was inappropriate.

"I guess we should just go home." Ryoma grumbled presently, as they turned away from the preoccupied couple and started walking away.

"Gomen," Tezuka offered.

"It's not your fault."

The senior was quiet for a bit before admitting, "I'm disappointed too."

At that, Echizen glanced up at the older boy from underneath his cap. "Really?"

Tezuka nodded, which brought a smile to the freshman's face. "Maybe we don't have to call it a day. If you could think of anyplace else we could go to instead?"

As Tezuka looked down to meet the other boy's eyes, the eagerness in them made his mouth go slightly dry. The young captain racked his brain and finally came up with an obvious choice. "My house?"

Ryoma pursed his lips dubiously. Images of his own home immediately sprung to mind and he shuddered mentally at the thought of his nosey father barging in every five minutes to challenge Tezuka to a game of tennis. They wouldn't get much "practice" done at all in his house, but Tezuka's house on the other hand, that might have some potential.

Taking Ryoma's momentary silence for hesitation, the young captain elaborated. "I have my own bedroom. We'll have privacy."

It would be nice to be indoors, away from mosquitoes, and they wouldn't have to worry about other people occupying their space. Still, thoughts of Nanjiroh prompted Ryoma to ask the next question. "Your parents…?"

"I live with my grandparents."

"Oh?" It never occurred to Echizen until now that he hadn't even asked Tezuka about his family all this time. They had chatted about many things, but amazingly enough, this very obvious topic was the one subject he forgot to bring up. "Where are your parents?"

"My parents passed away within a few years of each other when I was a child."

"Sorry." Ryoma genuinely meant it. He had never heard from anyone that Tezuka was an orphan. On an impulse, he touched Tezuka's elbow gently. It was a fleeting touch; his hand had already returned to his side in the next instant, as if it never happened. But the gesture was still appreciated: in fact, where his hand had made contact, Tezuka thought he felt a faint sense of warmth. If Ryoma had looked up at the young captain at that moment, he would've seen the beginnings of a genuine smile. However, like the touch, it lasted only for an instant.

"I was too young to remember them," Tezuka assured him.

"Do you have siblings?"

"I have an older brother. He's married with three children and living in New York with his family."

"How old is he?"

"In his thirties. He was already a teenager when I was born. He's actually my half-brother."

Echizen looked up at the older boy questioningly. "My father was remarried to my mother. He and his first wife, my brother's mother, divorced after my father met my mother. I think my brother didn't like the fact that my father remarried. He might have blamed my mother for his parents' divorce. As a result, when my mother was still alive, he never came over to visit; my father would just visit him at his mother's house. When he was ready to attend college, he chose to go to New York and he's been there since."

"Have you met him?"

"Twice. The first time was at my father's funeral; the second was at my paternal grandmother's funeral."

"So you live with your maternal grandparents."

"Yes."

"Was it your choice?"

"I guess I didn't really have one. My paternal grandparents were much older and were already retired. They were living with my aunt, her husband, and their eight children. It would have been too difficult for her to take care of another family member, especially one so young when she had so many children of her own. My maternal grandparents are more financially capable so they offered to take care of me."

"Are they very old?"

"They're in their seventies now."

"Do you get along well with them?"

"Yes, very well. In truth, I must say I'm glad it ended up this way. My grandparents are very generous and kind. I have never been in want of anything because they always made sure that I was well provided for. I could not have hoped for anything more."

Tezuka pulled on his left cuff absently. This was probably the first time he's ever spoken so extensively about his family. Despite the length of time he's known the others, they have never really asked him that many questions about his family. He knew it was probably because they didn't want to seem to be prying. He had mentioned to Oishi and Fuji before that he lived with his grandparents, but after they asked about his parents and he told them what happened, they had immediately backed off. Ryoma's blunt inquiries were refreshing and made him feel strangely elated. He almost wanted to tell the younger boy more even without prompting.

They arrived at his house. Tezuka pulled out his keys and unlocked the door to let them in. His grandparents' house, his home, was two-stories high, with the second level running a little over half the width of the first level. Like Ryoma's house, the young captain's home was a hybrid of traditional Japanese style architecture and modern design. The front door opened to a garden with a koi pond to the right and a flower bed to the left, both sides divided by a walkway paved with smooth pebbles which led straight to the front center of the house before splitting off to surround the perimeter of the building. A wide wooden porch jutted out to meet the front path. A pair of sliding rice-paper doors sat at the end of the porch, which were currently partially opened to reveal a spacious sitting room with tatami covered floors and mahogany shelves filled sparingly with tasteful sculptures. A painting of a beautiful flower arrangement with a haiku hung on the wall facing the garden while a sword with an intricately carved scabbard hung on the left wall. Beyond the room was a hallway with doors on either side and a mahogany glass case at the end. Amongst what were probably expensive sculptures displayed in the glass case, Ryoma could see a few trophies, no doubt all belonging to Tezuka.

Placing their bags on the porch, they changed into house slippers before setting foot inside. At Tezuka's "Tadaima!", a petite elderly woman with a very friendly face came out from one of the hallway doors on the left side. "Okaeri nasai," she returned with a smile. "Oh! You brought a friend!"

The way she said it gave Ryoma the impression that Tezuka probably didn't bring company home that often. And the truth was, Tezuka could definitely count on one hand the number of times he invited someone over, and they had never stayed long enough to say anything to his grandparents other than the normal cursory greetings.

"Obaasama, this is Echizen Ryoma. He is one of the members of the tennis team."

Echizen smiled and nodded politely at Tezuka's grandmother. Since his childhood was spent in America, he still hadn't gotten use to the traditional Japanese greeting of bowing to his elders. However, the elderly woman didn't seem to mind, instead her smile widened. "Anata, Kuni-chan brought home a friend!" she delightfully informed Tezuka's grandfather, who was coming out from the room behind her. His grandfather seemed just as pleased at this fact as his wife; their reactions made the young captain shift uncomfortably in place and he tried not to look down at the freshman, dreading the familiar smirk he would find on the other boy's face. He refused to meet Echizen's eyes even when he heard the other boy question, "Kuni-_chan?_" Tezuka could even _hear_ the smirk in the freshman's tone.

Ryoma was in fact grinning like a Cheshire cat at Tezuka's obvious discomfort and the faint blush that colored the taller boy's face. Due to the rarity of the occurrence, whenever Ryoma was able to catch his captain in such an unguarded state, it brought him an immense degree of amusement.

The elderly couple had just finished their supper and since they had only put aside enough food for Tezuka, his grandmother offered to make Ryoma some ramen noodles. Not wanting to trouble her, Tezuka instead volunteered to cook.

"You cook?" Ryoma asked, mildly surprised.

The older boy responded in the affirmative. The younger boy found this morsel of information to be unusually pleasing. It also made him anxious to try out the senior's cooking skills. He was a bit worried when Tezuka's grandmother resisted the suggestion, as she insisted it was no trouble at all for her, but she soon gave in after much convincing by the two boys.

They headed for the dining room together, with Ryoma and his grandparents sitting down at the table while Tezuka headed for the kitchen right next to it. The younger boy kept his eyes avidly on Tezuka as he moved around the kitchen preparing his guest's meal. Tezuka's moved with ease in the kitchen, indicating his familiarity with cooking. He seemed to time everything perfectly, even in reheating his own food so that both of their meals were ready at the same time. The elderly Tezukas kept the two boys company during the course of the meal, as they seemed sincerely interested in how Tezuka's day went and in learning a little more about his friend. Ryoma had never been good at making small talk with anybody—Tezuka being the only exception thus far—but he found the elderly couple to be quite easy to converse with. They were nothing like Nanjiroh. They were extremely courteous and their questions remained politely superficial. They asked him about school, tennis, and his family without demanding details or prying. They did not bombard him with questions, instead, only peppered the meal with them intermittently. Ryoma wondered if they were always like this to one another—so courteous and quiet. Contrasted with his own family's boisterousness during meals (when his dad wasn't defending himself after being berated by his wife and niece for reading dirty magazines at the table, he'd be harassing Echizen about the status of his tennis abilities, school, or social life and sometimes making obnoxious comments which would earn him more berating from all three family members), it was definitely refreshing. Even though Tezuka's grandparents obviously cared about their charge, they were very unintrusive about his life. When Tezuka didn't elaborate on a particular subject, neither of his grandparents would pursue further. They reminded him of his mother, whom he got along with much better than his father, and whom he probably resembled the most in nature, but as a result of their resemblance, being people who kept to themselves, they also weren't close. Despite Ryoma's competitive/annoying/unavoidable/love/hate relationship with his father, Nanjiroh Echizen was probably closer to his son than his wife was.

After the first bite, Ryoma decided that Tezuka was indeed a good cook. The ramen, which was fresh and not the dehydrated type, was cooked just right so that it still had the chewy texture Ryoma preferred, instead of being soggy like how his own ramen sometimes ended up. The soup was excellent; Ryoma had watched Tezuka add the various seasonings himself. He also added a few slices of chansu and fishcake. Other than being good in school and tennis, Ryoma would have never guessed that Tezuka would be good at cooking too. The stoic captain did not seem like the type to like tooling in the kitchen. He was not at all distressed to find that the more he learned about Tezuka, the more interesting the senior became.

At the end of the meal, as Tezuka washed the dishes (Ryoma helped dry them), his grandparents simply excused themselves for the evening, explaining that they were going to prepare for bed. They didn't even ask what the two boys planned to do for the rest of the night. Had it been Nanjiroh in their stead, he would probably be interrogating them to no end, and demand to be a part of whatever activities they had planned. Even if Ryoma were to tell his dad they needed to study, he would scoff at the idea of homework and instead challenge Tezuka to a match.

Yes, coming over to Tezuka's house was definitely a great idea.

O

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After the dishes were dried and returned to their place in the cabinets, it was already close to seven. Ryoma called home and told his cousin he would be home late because of school-related work. Before heading up to his room, Tezuka asked Ryoma if he would like to see the rest of the house. Even though the younger boy was highly curious about the captain's bedroom, he decided he was curious about the rest of the senior's house as well.

In addition to the shelves that could be seen from the outside, the front sitting room, which was basically a living room, also had a low mahogany table surrounded by four plush cushions covered with intricately embroidered silk designs. It was definitely a traditionally styled Japanese living room. To the right of the room, a pair of sliding doors opened into a hallway where the staircase to the upperquarters were, which really only consisted of Tezuka's bedroom, a study, and a bathroom which only he used. Tezuka explained that his grandparents added the second story just for him.

There were four doors in the hallway with the glass case, two on the left and two on the right. Tezuka simply indicated what each door led to since they were mostly his grandparents' quarters. The first door on the left led to the dining room, where they had just come from. The dining room looked out into a side garden where small wild flowers were planted. The second door on the left led to a small sitting room which Tezuka's grandmother used for sewing and crafts in her spare time. Opposite that door was the elderly Tezukas' bedroom, and next to it, was another bathroom. Tezuka then showed Ryoma out to the garden, which he helped his grandfather tend. The front garden was much larger than the back, but what interested Ryoma about the garden behind the house was that a small clay court with a practice board took up half of the space. Ryoma guessed Tezuka's grandparents had this part of the garden remade after their grandson took up tennis. Eyeing the many dents on the board, he asked, "You just practice alone?"

"Here and at the ball machines in the park."

Echizen thought it was rather amazing that the senior could perfect his Tezuka Zone and zero-shiki drop shot just by practicing alone like this. Instead of saying that out loud, however, he simply said, "Your grandparents are very nice people."

Tezuka nodded. "They are. My grandfather had this made when I had only joined the tennis club for a month in elementary school. I hadn't even known at the time I would commit to it for a long period of time, but somehow he knew."

"He could probably sense your excitement when you talked about it." Though Ryoma could hardly imagine how a young and excited Tezuka would be like.

"That may be. I didn't talk about much…that hasn't changed much. I guess when I talked about tennis more than anything else, he realized how serious I was about it."

They stood for a moment longer in the back garden, on the clay court. A sudden sense of nervousness overcame Tezuka, with the only outward indication of his unsettled emotions being his periodically tugging on one of his sleeve cuffs. It wasn't a gesture he did often, since he didn't get nervous that often, but it was slowly becoming a frequent habit whenever he was with Echizen. The gesture was so unconscious that he would probably be surprised himself if someone pointed it out to him. Ryoma picked up on it, however, as he had become somewhat of a keen observer of Tezuka.

His lips stretched in a small mischievous smile, he looked up at the older boy and said, "Let's see your room."

O

O

O

O

On the second level of the house, a large window spanned most of the length of the right wall beside the stairs. To the left was a hallway with three doors, one on each end and one in between them, which was closer to the front of the house. The door at the south end which was immediately next to the top of the stairs opened into Tezuka's study, a room consisting of bookshelves and a small desk with a computer. Ryoma made a mental note to come back to take a look at the books later. The bathroom was next door and then at the north end of the small hall was Tezuka's bedroom.

Tezuka's room seemed extremely spacious, partially due to its size but, Ryoma guessed, more to the lack of anything in it. They dropped their bags by the doorway as Ryoma surveyed the young captain's bedroom. Unlike his own room, Tezuka's room was practically spotless. There wasn't even one loose item of clothing anywhere. A large, perfectly made bed faced the door with a window right above it. Next to the bed was a small bedside table, and next to that was another desk, with what little items on top of it all neatly arranged. Right beside the desk was another window and on the adjacent wall hung a landscape painting. Upon catching the odd look Echizen gave him, Tezuka explained that his grandfather had painted it for his parents as their wedding gift. The freshman nodded in understanding. It was a very well-done painting, from what little he knew about art, and it actually didn't seem out of place in the room.

A three-drawer cabinet and a small bookshelf took up the rest of wall and a closet with sliding doors was set into the remaining of wall. Three framed photographs sat on top of the bookshelf: one picture was of a younger though just as solemn looking Tezuka, holding what was probably his first tennis trophy. The second picture was of him with his grandparents by a lake, also taken when he was younger. The last picture was of a couple holding an infant. It was obviously Tezuka's parents, who were both beaming proudly at the camera while the infant Tezuka only stared ahead. His father seemed a good number of years older than his mother, but they still made an attractive couple, both of them being tall, slender, and possessing fine features. Tezuka was a perfect amalgam of his parents.

"Did your dad play tennis?" Ryoma asked as he peered closely at that last photograph.

"Not really." the other boy responded as he stood next to him. "He played all sorts of sports when he was younger, but he never dedicated himself to just one."

"How about your mother?"

"No. She was quite a swimmer when she was younger and would probably have pursued it professionally if it wasn't for an injury she suffered during a boating accident when she was a second year in high school. But as for tennis, I don't think anyone else in my family plays except for me."

Frowning as he replaced the frame, Ryoma muttered, "Yet you play so well." Echizen was genuinely perplexed. As disagreeable as he found his father, even he couldn't escape the fact that his abilities must have been genetic inheritance from that old ecchi.

Tezuka's expression softened slightly. "Hard work and determination. Same as you."

"My ability comes from natural talent," the freshman stated, a mildly cocky expression on his face.

"While that may be, if you didn't put in the effort to nurture that ability, it could have easily gone to waste. The fact that you pursued it this far still means that you are dedicated to your goal."

"Spoken like a true captain, Kuni-chan," the younger boy teased. He moved away from the bookshelf and started looking around for a place to sit.

"Gomen, I've never had guests come up here so it's not properly furnished," Tezuka explained apologetically. He wondered if he should go get a chair from the study. One option was to have Echizen sit in his chair by the desk but then what would he do? Stand awkwardly next to him or sit on the floor looking up at the freshman? He could check later on if his grandfather had a spare table in storage. If he could find another table and a few cushions, they could just sit on the floor the next time Echizen came over. Another option was to move the table and chairs from his study into his room. It struck him then that perhaps it was bit presumptuous for him to even think Ryoma would come over again. He started slightly in surprise when he realized while he was ruminating over their seating options, the other boy had wordlessly decided to sit on his bed with his legs stretched out and his back against the wall. He was currently flashing an expectant smile at the young captain.

The sight of Echizen sitting on his bed made Tezuka feel strange. He was a bit warm and he could practically hear his heartbeat accelerating. He tugged on his cuff and wondered if maybe this is what it felt like to be nervous. But why was he nervous? He had suggested his bedroom as a place for them to continue their "practice"; he hadn't felt anything when he first suggested it, so why would he be nervous now? It was all so odd and novel to him that he didn't even know what to do other than walk over to join Ryoma on the bed.

At first, the two of them sat side by side in silence, each waiting for the other person to make the first move. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then fifteen. By the end of twenty minutes, finally tired of waiting, Ryoma reached out and placed his hand on the older boy's cheek so that he could turn his head to face him. Tezuka jerked at the sudden motion—he had been preoccupied with thoughts of whether or not he should be the one to make the first move—which prompted Echizen to apologize in English. The senior shook his head slightly and pulled off his glasses to set them carefully on the floor, before resuming his position to allow the other boy to lean in and kiss him.

They had been practicing their kissing on the park bench for quite a while already, so Tezuka thought that he should be used to the feeling of the younger boy's lips by now. Somehow, however, this kiss felt different to him. Perhaps it was the fact that they were in his bedroom, on his bed, and having more of a physical contact than before—Ryoma's hand still remained on his cheek—whatever the reason, this kiss seemed more…_intense_ to himThe senior's hands, which had only been resting on the covers at the start of the kiss, were now tightly grasping the fabric. They clutched even harder when Ryoma's hand ran down from his cheek to the side of his neck and then to the back of it, resting there a moment before going around to circle his shoulders, pulling him closer as the kiss further intensified. A foreign yet pleasant sensation began coursing through the older boy's body, with not a little sense of panic chasing its tail. This kiss was _definitely_ different, Tezuka decided as he grew more and more breathless. And when Ryoma suddenly did something else that was completely unexpected and unfamiliar—he flicked his tongue quickly against Tezuka's lips and teeth to finally run it quickly across the senior's tongue--Tezuka's state of excitement and panic rushed to a frantic peak, causing him to emit a sharp noise while jerking back in astonishment at the same time, breaking their contact.

Both of them were panting a little as they stared at one another, identical wide-eyed looks on their faces, mirror versions of their expressions after their first kiss. In hoping to try out something new, Ryoma hadn't expected to bring about such a dramatic reaction from Tezuka. "You didn't like it?" he asked, more curious than concerned.

Tezuka blinked stupidly at Echizen. Was he really supposed to answer that?

But the freshman was already moving on. "Hmm, but I read that French kissing is supposed to feel good," he said rather pragmatically. "The people whom I've seen doing it seem to like it."

It took a few more seconds before Tezuka was able to remember how to speak again, but all his fuzzy mind could come up was, "What?"

"I've seen people kiss like that, with their tongues, in movies and in mangas, but I didn't remember it until I came across the official term. I read it on the Internet last night."

"You…you were…doing research?"

"Of course."

"On kissing?"

"Yeah. So? I wanted to know if we were doing it right." Ryoma's indifferent tone made it sound as if he was just talking about how to prepare ramen noodles properly. In his state of bewilderment, the thought crossed Tezuka's mind if perhaps the freshman was taking all this much too casually. Kissing was an important factor in intimacy between two people in a relationship—Tezuka knew that much—so shouldn't they be regarding it in a more serious manner? He wished he knew how to point this out without seeming as if he was lecturing the younger boy. Along with this feeling of discomfort towards the freshman's carefree attitude, however, Tezuka also felt a sense of disappointment. Disappointment about what, he had no idea.

"I thought we were improving," Echizen continued as Tezuka remained quiet. "But I wanted to make sure we weren't missing anything. When I read about French kissing on this website, I thought it'd be fun to try it out. Ah, sorry if I startled you. Maybe I did it incorrectly."

Tezuka cleared his throat. "You just…surprised me, that's all. I wasn't expecting…anything like that." He hesitated a beat before adding, "It wasn't because you did it wrong." Another beat. "Actually, I wouldn't know."

The younger boy cocked his head to one side with a curious look. "Have you ever seen couples French-kissing?"

Unconsciously fidgeting with one of his cuffs again, Tezuka shook his head. Was he _suppose_d to know what French kissing was all about? Was it normal for a 15 year old to know that? Before this new relationship with Ryoma, Tezuka had barely even noticed other people _kissing_ in general. Of course he'd caught a glimpse of couples on the street, but he would always quickly look away, feeling he was somehow intruding upon their private moment. The few movies he'd seen did not even have any kissing scenes, from what he could remember. He was never a big movie fan and he would hardly pick a romance themed movie even when he wanted to watch one. Tezuka couldn't recall ever even reading about kissing, since the books he read were either sports-related or classical literature with little description of the intimacies the characters might engage in. At that moment, Tezuka realized just how little he knew about the mechanics of social intimacy and just how much more knowledgeable and prepared Ryoma was regarding that subject.

He felt a bit inadequate.

"It doesn't matter," Ryoma presently said as he shrugged his shoulders dismissively and leaned back against the wall. "It's basically kissing with tongue."

"Ha," was the other boy's only response.

They sat in silence once again. Tezuka's mind was a jumble as he wasn't sure what he should do next. Should he apologize for over-reacting? Should he ask Echizen to elaborate more on French-kissing? He shook his head mentally. That somehow didn't seem like a good idea. Should he ask about something else entirely? Such as about his family or his life in America, even though Ryoma had actually already told him a lot about both topics? Or should he continue where they left off, with him making the first move this time? Was that what Ryoma wanted? But what if the freshman's intention was just to sit here quietly, side by side? What should he do?

Echizen, on the other hand, was going over what he had read the night before on that website, which not only talked about kissing and French-kissing, but also about necking and making out and all sorts of other subjects under the category of "foreplay". The website did not talk about having sex, but Ryoma knew that was the ultimate destination of foreplay. The idea of sex did not bother him at all; he figured if that was where kissing was supposed to eventually lead to, so be it. If Tezuka knew exactly how easy Ryoma was taking everything in stride, his jaw would probably drop to the ground and break from the shock. To Echizen, things happened in the present tense, in the sense that he simply did what he wanted to without putting too much thought into what each action represented. While others may consider that system of thought to be reckless, it has served the young tennis prodigy well his whole life. Ryoma just did not see the point to thinking an action to death before doing it. He just did it.

And so to keep with his natural character, the younger boy decided that if Tezuka had sufficiently recovered from his surprise earlier, it was time to continue. First, however…. "Ne, Tezuka?"

"Yes?"

"So did you like it? What I did?"

More prepared for the question than before, Tezuka was able to answer this time, even if his response was done in a hesitant manner since he was still slightly embarrassed by the truth of the matter. "It wasn't unpleasant. It felt strange at first because I wasn't expecting it, but it wasn't, erm, bad." His room suddenly felt warmer.

Ryoma smiled. "I'm going to do it again, okay?"

Tezuka nodded.

This time, since Tezuka was ready for it, he didn't pull back at the sensation of Ryoma's tongue coming into contact with his own; instead he returned the gesture, although uncertainly, as he wasn't sure if that was what he was supposed to do. After a few minutes, however, his mind finally just shut out the questions. Even if he wasn't sure about what to do, Ryoma apparently knew what _he_ was doing. In fact, if the senior didn't know better, he would've wondered if Echizen was using his tongue just a little too well, as he was causing all sorts of thrilling sensations to course through Tezuka's body. It felt as if a series of electrical currents were shooting up and down his form, all targeting one particular spot. When Tezuka realized what was happening, how excited he was becoming, he broke the kiss again, startled. "What is it this time?" Ryoma asked breathlessly and with a hint of irritation.

Tezuka couldn't bring himself to say it. How was he supposed to tell Ryoma that this new method of kissing was getting him _really _excited, and that the excitement centered in his nether regions? There was no decent way to explain something like that, and even if there was, Tezuka doubted his limited vocabulary and expertise in that regard would suffice.

Seeing the uncomfortable look on the young captain's face, Ryoma frowned and sat back on his hunches. "So you don't like it," he stated, more than a little disappointed. He had been feeling some very agreeable sensations himself during their kiss and unlike Tezuka, he wasn't the least bit disturbed that they were centered in his groin. After all, he had done some research so he knew that that was normal and how it was _supposed_ to be in situations like this. Being two years his senior, how could Tezuka _not_ know this? What the heck was the guy's problem?

"No," Tezuka responded. "That's not it."

The young tennis prodigy glowered at the senior, who remained silent while frowning at his hands. That's when Echizen noticed that the other boy's cheeks were tinged with color and that he was once again fiddling with one of his sleeve cuffs. "You did like it, right?" he asked, though he didn't really mean it as a question. When the only reaction he got was Tezuka shifting awkwardly, Ryoma couldn't help grinning. _Interesting_, he thought. Evidently, the problem was not that Tezuka didn't like what they were doing, it was that he _enjoyed_ it. And if his state of discomfort was saying anything, he probably enjoyed it quite a lot, at least as much as Echizen did. The freshman grinned, immensely pleased. It was extremely rare to ever see the mighty captain of the Seigaku tennis team this flustered (he would have probably been even more pleased had he known that he was probably the_ only _person, other than Tezuka's grandparents, who had ever seen the young captain visibly embarrassed about anything. After all, Tezuka was practically born with that stoic expression of his, even he himself had a hard time cracking it). Therefore, Echizen decided the best thing to do was to make it worse. "Heeh, is this making you uncomfortable, Kuni-chan?"

Tezuka shifted again. "I'm just not use to this," he replied gruffly after a few seconds. "Stop calling me that."

"Calling you what?"

The senior shot Echizen a mildly disapproving look at his obvious enjoyment of the situation. "Only my grandparents call me by that name."

Ryoma shrugged as his grin widened. "Really? But it's actually very cute."

"That is the problem. Not to mention, since you're younger than me, you shouldn't be calling me –chan."

"Eh? You want me to call you Kuni-senpai instead?"

Tezuka winced. That sounded just as bad as his childhood nickname for some reason. "No."

"It's either Kuni-chan when we're alone or Kuni-senpai when we're in public."

"You're just being difficult."

"It's not my fault your name is so long."

Now that the other boy mentioned it, Tezuka realized then that no one had ever called him by his first name. "It doesn't matter. Anything but Kuni-chan. What's wrong with 'Tezuka'?"

Ryoma smirked. "I've been wondering the same thing. What _is_ wrong with Tezuka? He keeps on interrupting me when I'm trying to kiss him."

"Brat," Tezuka muttered under his breath, as he felt his face grow slightly warm.

"Anyway, everybody gets to call you Tezuka," Echizen went on to say.

"That is a problem?" He did not understand what the younger boy was getting at.

Sighing in exasperation, Ryoma rose on his knees and with his hands resting on the bed to support himself, leaned in close until their faces were only an inch apart. "I like that only I get to call you Kuni-chan," he explained in a soft voice. "If you don't count your grandparents, that is. It's more exclusive that way."

"Exclusive? What…do you mean?" Echizen's words, voice, and position were making Tezuka's heart rate accelerate, so his question came out sounding huskier than he intended.

"Kunimitsu Tezuka-senpai?"

"Y-yes?"

"Can you please shut up for now so we could make out in peace?" To punctuate his point, Ryoma swiped his tongue gently across Tezuka's lips.

Tezuka couldn't help smiling slightly at that. His breath caught when Ryoma's arms slid around his body in an embrace, closing the distance between them. Without another word, he met the freshman's lips in a gentle but passionate kiss that finally silenced all the noisy thoughts and questions in his chaotic mind.


	3. Focus: Chapter Three

**Rating: R, very R!**

**Focus: Chapter Three**

Tezuka and Echizen continued to see each other after school each day. Ever since that day at Tezuka's house, they established a routine of walking home together, sometimes stopping at McDonald's for dinner, but more often than not they would head straight to the senior's house where Tezuka would cook for the freshman. They would then retire to the bedroom to alternately do homework and make-out. At the same time, they also became better acquainted with one another. During their walks or meals, or even between bouts of working on homework or kissing, they actually conversed quite often; a fact that, had either of them stopped to think about it, would probably be a surprise to themselves as well. It was a gradual growth in openness on both side. When alone with Tezuka, Ryoma found himself constantly motivated to ask questions or make observations about various matters, while Tezuka would feel an equal urge to do the same. This budding curiosity to learn more about one another, though not at all unpleasant, was definitely a new development for both of them. Neither could remember ever wanting to share so much information about themselves with anyone else ever in their lives. They grew unconsciously closer as they learned more about one another.

Ryoma often talked about his life in America and his family, though these stories were usually made up of bizarre anecdotes about his father. His constant rants about his father only served to illustrate how Nanjiroh seemed to bring out simultaneous feelings of annoyance, animosity, competitiveness, grudging affection, and admiration in Echizen. Tezuka guessed that even though the freshman would never admit it out loud to anyone in a million years (and definitely never to his father), he was probably the closest to his father. The only other family member the younger boy mentioned half as often was his cat, Karupin. At one point, Echizen had even asked Tezuka in a very serious manner if he was allergic to cats. The look on his face had indicated to Tezuka that there would've probably been adverse consequences had the senior's answer been yes. The relieved look on Echizen's face at the young captain's response was almost comical.

Tezuka, in turn, spoke of his childhood, of which Echizen decided seemed quite a lonely one, despite his grandparent's obvious fondness for the boy. Because of the obvious generation gap between him and his guardians, Tezuka became focused on being respectful and considerate so as not to be a burden to them. As a result, he inadvertently erected an invisible barrier of decorum between himself and his grandparents. He simply kept to himself and out of their way as much as possible, going so far as to even turn down their frequent offers of getting him an animal companion when he was young. Because of his introverted nature, he never had any close childhood friends and his devotion to tennis early on had actually furthered his isolation from his peers. Even though Tezuka counted Oishi and Fuji as his friends, Echizen could tell that was only relatively speaking.

Tezuka also spoke of his early tennis years before becoming the Seigaku team captain, including how he first acquired his injury. Echizen was genuinely affected when Tezuka told him about it, for even if the condition of his elbow was exacerbated by his zero-shiki drop shot, there was no denying the fact that the third-year who dealt him the blow with the racket was the true culprit. It filled him with a sense of irritation which bordered on anger, as he realized how tragic it would be if Tezuka were forced to quit tennis because of his injury. Not to mention the sacrifices he had to make as a result of it; he even had to decline the invitation to the Japan All-Stars Junior Selection camp, which must have been a great disappointment. Though Tezuka assured him that he was fully recovered and had been for some time, Ryoma still had to wonder about the permanence of the recovery. He also wondered had the injury not acted up last year, thereby effectively putting a halt on the progression of Tezuka's abilities, how much stronger would Tezuka be now? If Tezuka had been able to beat him when he had just recovered from a long-standing injury, how much worse would it have been if Tezuka had never been hurt? The mere idea would sometimes fill Echizen with such a tremendous sense of excitement that he would actually have to take a walk or forcibly focus his attention on something else entirely to calm down.

Other than tennis, they also shared with each other their likes and dislikes, including their hobbies. Ryoma was amused when he found out that other than cooking, Tezuka also enjoyed fishing. The freshman had never gone fishing before but he was definitely curious about it, so they set a date to go fishing, with Tezuka promising to teach him. In return, since Echizen enjoyed playing video games and Tezuka had never played a video game in his life, the freshman decided that he would take the senior to an arcade after they go fishing as repayment for the lessons. He couldn't wait to show the older boy what he'd been missing, while Tezuka was secretly elated that Ryoma was even remotely interested in his favorite hobby.

In private, they spent a good deal of time conversing and interacting. In public, however, they barely spoke to each other, maintaining the image of the solemn but admirable Seigaku tennis team captain and the arrogantly anti-social but talented young tennis prodigy.

This unspoken agreement to keep their relationship on the lowdown was mostly due to their basic nature rather than to any active arrangement. They never made a concerted effort to hide their relationship nor did they need to since neither of them were the type of people to put on public displays of affection. Unlike most couples, they never felt the urge to hug or kiss or even hold hands in public. They barely had any physical contact in fact, and when it did happen, it was usually by accident. As a result, they never had to talk about how they would prevent others from finding out about them. What they did discuss, however, on more than one occasion, was whether or not the others had found out on their own. Interestingly enough, Tezuka was the one to bring this topic up each time, usually as a result of receiving a questionable look from either Fuji or Oishi on that particular day. When Ryoma asked him to explain how they were looking at him funny, Tezuka found himself incapable of accurately depicting what he meant without sounding as if it was just his imagination. Part of the problem was that it could easily be due to his imagination, since his perception that something was amiss was partially the result of his own gut feeling.

The freshman simply dismissed it as paranoia. "If they knew, we would've known about it by now. Why would they keep it a secret for us? Plus, I doubt they're capable of that degree of self-control. Especially if it's Kikumaru-senpai and Horio we're talking about."

While Echizen wasn't consciously worried about people finding out about them, he did prefer things to remain the way they were. He could only imagine how much the others (namely, Kikumaru, Momo, and Horio) would blow things out of proportion and pester them ceaselessly if they knew, since they were that childish. However, even their actions would pale in comparison to Nanjiroh's if he were to discover the truth. If Echizen had to choose someone he absolutely did not want to find out about him and Tezuka, it would definitely be his father. The consequences would simply be too annoying. As it was, the old man was already becoming obnoxiously suspicious, since he had taken to grilling Ryoma every night he came home late. He knew his change in routine would naturally rouse suspicion—he had been skipping dinner and would sometimes not return home until well into the evening—but instead of asking him for an explanation like a normal person would, like his mother did, Nanjiroh would instead interrogate him with completely unreasonable questions, all of which centered around the ridiculous idea of him secretly dating some girl. Even when Ryoma straight out told his dad that he had been at Tezuka's house ("for tutoring"), Nanjiroh still refused to believe him, opting instead to continue with his barrage of questions and making wild guesses. Whenever Echizen even contemplated just telling the old fart the truth, his mind would conjure up horrifying images of the elder Echizen stalking about his school in attempt to get a look at the kid who was "plucking the spring blossoms of his son's life and giving them a good sniff" (Nanjiroh's favorite phrase in reference to these matters). At those times, he would shudder violently in disgust and strengthen his resolve to keep silent about the whole thing. If he wanted to continue enjoying his dating life in peace, his dad must never know about it.

He had long come to accept the fact that he and Tezuka were dating, and although he was slightly surprised by the realization when it first occurred to him, it didn't take long for him to shrug off the astonishment. Even though he had never dated before—he had never liked anyone enough to want to date them, boy or girl—he did eventually recognize that when two people spend so much time together, with most of that time spent _kissing_, they were no longer having a simple platonic relationship. He also knew that he had an active hand in the meteoric progression of their relationship. Of course he never intended it to be this way when he first accompanied Tezuka home; in fact, had he not been enjoying the current state of affairs so much, he would probably be annoyed at the fact that the decision he made that day only served to exacerbate his preoccupation with the young captain instead of eliminating it. As things were, he was rather happy that the situation ended up the way it did. He wasn't sure what Tezuka's thoughts were on the matter, or if he even thought about it at all; he was simply glad that the senior was so willingly following along the course he had unconsciously set. In actuality, Echizen was surprised about this aspect of Tezuka's personality. Based on how the older boy normally acted during school, he would have guessed that Tezuka's assertive and authoritative attitude would carry over into the other areas of his life. Instead, Tezuka seemed to possess a general sense of uncertainty when they were alone. Ryoma found this inconsistency in his character rather perplexing, even though he was simultaneously amused by it. In contrast, the freshman felt completely comfortable in Tezuka's presence.

Therefore, when he decided that it was about time for them to breach the next level of intimacy in their relationship, he didn't think twice about bringing it up.

O

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O

It was a Friday night, and Echizen was over at Tezuka's house, in his bedroom, as usual. Having just finished their homework, they sat on the bed making out. Ryoma was seated on top of the older boy's legs as he kissed and licked Tezuka's exposed shoulder. He took great care in doing so since, a few days ago, he had inadvertently given the senior a lovebite without even realizing at that time what it was. Tezuka was actually startled when he saw that the small bruise-like spot was still present the next day. It had been located in the junction between his neck and shoulder blade, and therefore, easily visible if he wasn't careful. The young captain had to shower with a towel draped around his shoulder that day, as the walls and door of the stalls only reached up to the mid-chest. Since then, Echizen learned to be more careful when he tended to that area.

The freshman's hands were underneath Tezuka's shirt, alternately running across the other boy's abdomen and resting on his hips. He liked having direct contact with Tezuka's skin when they were kissing as he enjoyed the way the senior's washboard stomach felt, firm but smooth and warm at the same time. He especially enjoyed the way the other boy would shiver at his ministrations. He had yet to explore further than the older boy's lower torso, since that had been enough to provide ample pleasant distraction, and though he was curious about how the rest of the boy felt, Ryoma never felt the need to rush. Even before he made his decision about taking the next step, he always knew that his curiosities would be satisfied in due time.

Without warning, Echizen shifted forward suddenly, bringing their groins together; the heightened stimulation made both of them gasp in surprise. Ryoma raised his head to press a hard kiss on Tezuka's lips as he continued to rub himself against the older boy. Tezuka was groaning at the feeling; his hands, which had been grasping the folds of Ryoma's uniform shirt on either side, tightened their grip. He was almost overwhelmed by the feeling, but instead of stopping the freshman, he started rubbing back against him. At the back of his mind, he was a bit alarmed at this new development as he was beginning to feel a strange sensation building within him. He returned the younger boy's kisses almost desperately, as his arm encircled the freshman's back to pull him closer.

They continued to kiss passionately while their clothed bodies rocked gently against each other. Ryoma ran his hands up and down the side of Tezuka's body, pushing his shirt further up to expose more of his skin. He eventually snaked one of his hands down Tezuka's chest and underneath the fabric of his pants in the front. As soon as his hand came in contact with what it was seeking, Tezuka gasped in shock and practically jumped back, wrenching his face away to break the kiss and twisting bodily aside at the same time to dislodge Ryoma. He panted, his face red and his eyes wide. He had almost…almost….

"What?" Ryoma asked, while trying to catch his own breath. "Did you cum?"

Tezuka blinked, still reeling from confusion about what had almost happened. "Did I what?"

Echizen moved so that he was sitting with his legs tucked underneath him. He had hoped that they would naturally advance to where he wanted to take them today but that was of course expecting too much. He had a feeling he would have to first explain things in black and white to Tezuka, and he was right. "That's what it's called. When you climax. That's what you were about to do, right?"

Blankness continued to register on the older boy's face. Sighing, Ryoma went on to elaborate, "That's what happens when you have sex. I think it happens when you masturbate too. The excitement builds and you'll eventually cum. It's called climaxing."

Off Tezuka's expression, which was both mildly horrified and dumbfounded at the same time, Ryoma wished he had a mirror with him at that moment so he could show the senior how he looked. Smiling indulgently, Echizen leaned forward so that he could place his hands on the bed on either side of Tezuka, locking him within the confines of his arms. "Hey, captain," he said softly as he tried to trying to capture the other boy's gaze, which was slightly out of focus.

Tezuka was still trying to process the other boy's words. So that was what the building sensation was. Even though it made more sense now, he was still rather staggered by the realization that he had almost climaxed. He couldn't believe that he had almost reached his climax when they were only kissing. From what he knew, or thought he knew, that should come after sex, shouldn't it? As he continued to sort out his meager collection of facts about sex, his attention was suddenly brought back to the present by the very close sound of Ryoma's voice. The freshman's face was just inches from his own, making him swallow reflexively before saying, "Sorry, what?"

"Did you hear me? I said let's have sex."

"_What_?" Tezuka could only repeat dumbly, his voice tinged with growing alarm.

Echizen settled himself to perch lightly upon Tezuka's thighs. "I want to have sex," he reiterated casually. When his words were greeted with silence, he continued with, "I've been thinking about it recently. Quite often, in fact. It's actually become a distraction, and with our first Regional match coming up, it's a distraction I can't afford. Since I can't think of any reason why we shouldn't have sex, let's just do it. Then I could stop wondering about it."

More silence. Although Tezuka was usually good about masking his reactions, the incredulous expression on his face now would've been obvious to even people with cataracts. His eyes were practically in danger of popping out of their sockets. At Tezuka's look, Ryoma crinkled his brow and asked in an almost demanding tone, "What's the problem? You don't want to have sex with me? Say something."

"Uhn…," was all that came out at first. Tezuka blinked rapidly as he tried to clear up the fog that had become his brain. "No," he finally replied. Ryoma's eyes narrowed at that, which prompted Tezuka to hastily explain, "What I mean is, it's not that I don't want to, I just…never thought we'd get to that."

"Why not?"

"You're only 13," the senior pointed out.

It was an answer Ryoma hadn't expected. Confused, he cocked his head to one side and questioned, "Ha? What does my age have to do with anything?"

"Don't you think we might be too young to have sex?"

"There's an age requirement?"

Tezuka frowned. Having never really given much thought to the subject either way, he wasn't sure his reasoning made any sense, much less what the general rules about sex were. "I would think so," he replied uncertainly. "Don't you?"

Echizen thought about it seriously. "I never thought about it like that," he admitted. "Are you talking about legal issues?"

Tezuka shrugged helplessly. Echizen paused again in consideration. "I think the age of consent here is 13, but considering you're not that much older than me, somehow, I doubt that should be an issue here. Or even if it was, I doubt either of us are about to run to the authorities any time soon."

"That's not what I mean," the older boy responded, though now he began to wonder if they _should_ be considering the legalities involved.

"Then what do you mean?" Echizen urged. "What are you worried about?"

Looking down, Tezuka shook his head, his lips pursed in a slight frown. He couldn't put a voice to his concern since he wasn't even sure where it was stemming from. After a moment, the only thing he could if was, "I want to make sure this is the right decision for us." The explanation sounded odd even to his own ears, but he knew it was the best one, as it most accurately reflected his feelings.

"Heeh," the freshman smirked as he placed a hand on Tezuka's abdomen playfully. "Are you afraid that we'll regret it the morning after?"

"That's not exactly what I mean."

"Are you afraid you'll be corrupting a minor or that I will be?"

"Echizen."

"Are you afraid you'll get me pregnant, buchou?"

That earned him a disapproving look from the other boy, which only made him chuckle. "Why can't you be more serious?" Tezuka asked, slightly affronted.

"How do you know I'm not?" Echizen asked in return.

"You can still joke about it. Don't you think having sex is a serious matter?"

"Of course I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't have spent so much time thinking about it."

"Yes, but you even said it was a means to resolving your distraction."

"So? What's wrong with that?" Echizen was at a loss. Was trying to eliminate a source of distraction a bad thing? After all, if it wasn't for that purpose, he and Tezuka wouldn't have gotten together in the first place.

"It's a frivolous reason. We could be talking about where we're going to eat tomorrow as far as your attitude's concerned."

"_My_ attitude?"

At the subtle tone of warning in the other boy's voice, Tezuka stopped immediately and looked away. The last thing he had wanted to do was push Ryoma into a defensive stance by being overtly critical. It was one thing to criticize while they were on the tennis court since his position as team captain did grant him a degree of authority, but in their private time, when they were supposed to be equals, he was always careful about not being too judgmental in his tone. Of course he had to fail now, during such an important discussion of all things. At the same time, however, he didn't regret saying what he did, as he also believed he was right. He sighed and shook his head. "I wish I could be as easy-going as you about this."

"And why are you so uptight about this? Not that you're not _always_ uptight," Ryoma ignored the look the senior flashed him, "…but considering how far we've gotten, I would've thought you'd loosen up a little."

"I can't help it if I'm not as comfortable as you are about sex."

"I don't know if I'm comfortable about sex, but I'm comfortable talking about it with you. I mean, who else would I be comfortable with if not you?"

Tezuka started, swinging back to meet Echizen's eyes. He was genuinely taken aback by the blunt sincerity of his words. "Are you comfortable about the stuff we've done so far?" the freshman went on to ask.

"Yes," Tezuka answered cautiously.

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Yes."

"Then why shouldn't we continue on to the next level?" Ryoma examined Tezuka's face closely. "Is the reason because you don't want to have sex with me?"

"Of course not." The answer came instantaneously. Even though Tezuka hadn't given any thought to it before today, he knew as soon as he said the words that he meant them completely.

Ryoma smiled. "So there doesn't seem to be a problem then, is there?"

"There is." At Echizen's questioning look, Tezuka said with a good degree of embarrassment, "I'm not sure I know what we do. In sex, that is."

"Is that all?" Tezuka glowered at the wide, teasing grin that appeared on the other boy's face. It disappeared in the next instant, however, replaced by a solemn look. "Ne, Tezuka," Ryoma intoned seriously, "what if I were to take the lead?"

"Take the lead?"

"Mmm-hmm." Ryoma shifted closer. "From what I read, usually the older, more experienced person takes the lead. It's called being the top, or being the seme. But since we're both inexperienced, and I've a better idea of what goes on, why don't I be that for now? You can observe what I'm doing and then later, we could switch if you want."

Tezuka's mouth went dry as his pulse quickened. He could almost hear the sound his heart racing. He had to admit he felt some level of excitement along with anxiety at what the other boy was suggesting. What Ryoma said next did little to calm his nerves. "You would be the bottom, or the uke as it is sometimes called. Only disadvantage of being the bottom is, it's going to hurt at first. It's actually supposed to be extremely uncomfortable at the beginning, but then it will get better. Much better. You'll have to just, trust me, I guess. Since this is my first time too, we'll just take our time, go slowly. But you have to tell me if it hurts a lot, if it becomes unbearable, since that might mean I'm doing something wrong."

Echizen knew he wasn't making a good case for himself, especially after seeing the worried expression on Tezuka's face deepen, but he also wanted to be honest since he truly wanted both of them to derive some pleasure from the experience. He didn't want Tezuka to be unpleasantly caught off guard. He wondered if he should elaborate more on why it would hurt, but he decided the other boy would find out soon enough if he agreed to the arrangement so why worry him more before they were even able to get anywhere.

Though the young captain was still doubtful after Echizen's less than encouraging speech, at the sight of the eager hopefulness in the other boy's face, he eventually relented. After all, he reasoned mentally, he's sustained a good amount of sports-related injuries—in fact, whenever his elbow acted up, it would sometimes feel as if someone had delved beneath his skin to give his bare muscles there a sharp twist—how much worse could it be? And Ryoma did say it would get much better. He could see it as a challenge to himself, and he never backed down from any challenge. Taking a deep breath, he looked Ryoma straight in the eyes and asked, "What do I do?"

O

O

O

O

A dozen thoughts flew through Echizen's mind at once and it took him a moment to silence them so he could sort out what needed to be done. First, he leaned in to give Tezuka a quick kiss, in both gratitude and assurance. He knew the senior wasn't quite as enthusiastic about the whole thing as he was, but Tezuka was still going through with it for his sake. He was resolved to make sure Tezuka did enjoy his first time having sex. He was almost confident that the senior would. If their make out sessions were any indication, sex should be better, since from all accounts, it usually was. It probably won't be long before Tezuka was the one initiating it.

But that was something to worry about later, now he had to focus on making sure that their first time would be at least good enough to warrant a second try. To answer Tezuka's question, Ryoma answered, "There are actually several ways we could do it."

Off Tezuka's baffled look, he clarified, "Positions. We could actually do it like this, sitting, well, kind of sitting, or you could be on your hands and knees, that's actually the most common position, or we can…hm, why don't we do it this way this time….lie on your back. Wait, sit up a little so you could see what I'm doing." Echizen arranged the pillows behind Tezuka so that he was slightly propped up.

"You got all this from the Internet?" Tezuka asked, amazed.

"Yeah. I was just as surprised. I didn't think there would be so many sites. Actually, I don't think most of them were meant to be instructive. They were mostly AV sites but they ended up being pretty helpful. Especially since there were a lot of pictures."

Tezuka was stunned. He thought about his computer in his study, in which he rarely used to do anything but his homework. He went on-line even more infrequently, opting to look things up in books rather than the Internet. He had no idea there could be a wealth of such information on there. If it weren't for the fact that he had once overheard some of his classmates mentioning AV sites, he wouldn't have even known that that acronym stood for adult video.

"Tezuka," Echizen was currently saying, "Here, spread your legs a little so I could kneel between them. Good. Hmm, I guess we should undress next."

Ryoma started unbuttoning his own shirt but when he saw that Tezuka was just staring at him, he stopped to inquire, "You need help?"

Tezuka blinked. "Uh, no. I can do it myself."

"Just your shirt. I…," Ryoma grinned with something akin to shyness. "Let me remove the rest. If you don't mind, that is."

Tezuka nodded, his cheeks heating up. After pulling off their respective tops, they paused to stare at each other. It wasn't as if the sight of their bodies was new to either of them. They had often changed into their tennis uniforms out in the open in the locker room. Not to mention the accidental glimpses they caught in the shower room. Still, it was different this time, not only due to the proximity but also to the significance. Ryoma unconsciously licked his lips as he drank in the sight of Tezuka's lean but sculpted upper body. He had always found the senior's athletic build to be aesthetically pleasing in general, but the fact was further emphasized from such a close vantage point. He also relished the fact that he was allowed to stare this time, where as normally he could only steal quick glances, lest anyone else should notice. Tezuka also couldn't resist staring in return. Though Ryoma was shorter and smaller framed, he was not at all scrawny. He was in fact leaner with already defined muscles in his upper arms and torso. Tezuka was almost tempted to reach out and touch him.

Instead, Ryoma was the one to give into the temptation. He placed his hand on Tezuka's chest and swept it leisurely down, all the way to just above the waistband of the older boy's pants. The gesture drew a slight shudder from the Tezuka. "Echizen," the young captain breathed huskily.

Echizen then bent down and traced the trail his hand just took with nibbling licks and kisses, inhaling the scent of the other boy the entire time. Tezuka smelled pleasantly of the soap they used at school, having just showered two hours ago after practice. He even tasted clean. With great concentration, Ryoma spent the next minutes boldly exploring the senior's body with both his hands and lips. By the end of it, Tezuka was having difficulty remembering how to breathe. His own hands lay limply by his sides.

Remembering a picture he saw on a website, Echizen suddenly swiped his tongue lightly across one of Tezuka's nipples, wringing a loud gasp from the older boy. _So it does feel good_, Echizen thought with satisfaction. He did it again and again, switching from one to the other, making Tezuka pant and squirm in response the whole time. Without warning, Ryoma suddenly lowered himself on top of the young captain so that their bare chests came into contact and then captured the Tezuka's lips in a heated kiss. In a reflex, Tezuka finally brought his hands up to tightly grasp the younger boy's shoulders, pressing them closer against each other. The feeling of Ryoma's half-naked against him was already causing that building sensation inside of him to grow again.

They continued their exploration of one another some more, eliciting more sharp noises from each other whenever their groins should accidentally ground against each other. Finally, anxious to proceed, Ryoma broke away from Tezuka (much to the older boy's disappointment) to move down his body until he was once again kneeling before him. Making sure that Tezuka's eyes were on him, he reached out to start undoing the senior's pants. His own hands were shaking slightly from the anticipation while Tezuka was practically holding his breath. Once the pants were unbuttoned, Echizen tugged them off and then with only a small pause, pulled off the remainder of Tezuka's garments. He then stopped, fascinated. During his Internet search he had encountered many graphic hentai sites, so the site of another guy's penis was nothing new to him. However, seeing one in pictures and seeing one in the flesh, so to speak, was an entirely different experience. With this one belonging to Tezuka, no less, made it even more interesting. Ryoma couldn't stop himself from staring at it, enraptured. Unconsciously, he began making mental comparisons to his own.

"Could you please stop doing that?"

It took a moment for Tezuka's voice to penetrate his consciousness; when it did, the freshman looked up blankly and said, "What?"

The older boy was blushing with his eyes glued to the ceiling, as if he was trying to bore a hole through it. "Your staring. It's making me…uncomfortable."

"Oh," Ryoma blinked again and then smiled apologetically. "Sorry. It's just…something new."

That only made Tezuka more aware of his exposed state. He felt the urge to cross his legs. Whatever excitement he had been feeling was quickly dissipating under Ryoma's scrutiny. He felt self-conscious, lying there, completely naked and vulnerable for the other boy's viewing leisure, while the freshman still had his pants on. He was about to say something about it when the feeling of Ryoma's hand on his private parts caused the words to instantly die on his lips. Aghast with shock at such a bold move, Tezuka barely found the strength to push himself up with his elbows so that he could take a better look at what the other boy was doing. Ryoma continued to stare while holding him in his hand. Tezuka could feel the temperature in his entire body rising at an alarming rate.

"Echizen, what are you---ah!" Tezuka's question was cut short when in the next instant, the other boy had ran his tongue quickly across the top of his member. "Ech-Echizen," Tezuka's voice was shaking. The freshman didn't seem to be listening to him. Instead, he repeated what he did, this time more slowly. Tezuka fell back against the pillows, his ability of speech having completely deserted him. Ryoma repeated his actions tentatively a few more times, almost as if he was testing something out. Then, after a brief pause, and as if coming to some kind of decision, nodded to himself and lowered his head to take Tezuka into his mouth. In response, the senior groaned as if in pain, the sensation of being engulfed by a velvet heat almost too much for him to take.

Raising his head, Ryoma admonished him with a small smirk, "Keep your voice down, Kuni-chan. You don't want to wake up your grandparents, do you?" In a daze, Tezuka turned his head into the pillow to muffle his next groan as the other boy continued.

Ryoma had wanted to try this out when he first saw pictures of oral sex. He read that it was supposed to put the receiver at ease, so he figured what better time to do it than now since Tezuka obviously needed something to ease his misgivings about sex. At first he had his own doubts about this type of thing since the thought of having someone else's penis in his mouth seemed rather disgusting. On top of that, he hadn't read anywhere that the giver would be deriving much pleasure from it in return. However, seeing Tezuka's enthusiastic reaction made him change his mind about that. He was actually quite pleased that he was able to draw such a dramatic response from the older boy, who was currently writhing on the bed and making all sorts of provocative noise that was definitely out of character for the Seigaku tennis team captain. And actually the act itself wasn't that bad. The reality of it was still a bit odd, if he thought about it, but he was getting use to it. He wondered from time to time whether he was performing it right, but based on the other boy's reactions, he doubted Tezuka even knew the difference.

In fact, Tezuka was going out of his mind with pleasure. He had never thought he could feel such ecstasy. The only coherent thoughts going through his head were the words _good, so good, _and _Echizen_. He could hear himself moaning, almost nonstop, into the pillow and he would probably be embarrassed if he was in any state of mind to think further than those few words Just as he began wondering if he was really going to reach his "climax" this time, a hot white force suddenly shot through him, silencing his thoughts like a switch and blinding his vision simultaneously. His back arched hard as his breath was knocked out of him. His mouth fell open in a silent shout as he climaxed almost violently.

His orgasm took Echizen by surprise as well, so he couldn't move away in time. He decided immediately upon first taste that he definitely did not like it. With his face scrunched up in mild revulsion, he grabbed one of the tissues from the box on Tezuka's bedside table and spat into it. He would have to tell Tezuka to warn him before he came next time. After wiping his mouth, he proceeded to clean Tezuka, who was still trying to catch his breath.

Eventually, Tezuka gathered enough wits about him to prop himself up into a sitting position. Upon seeing the mess the freshman was taking care of, he asked absently, "Did I do that?"

At the sight of a completely disarrayed Tezuka—his face still had a dazed look and his hair was practically standing up in some parts of his head—Ryoma chuckled and nodded. "You came."

"I what?"

"Remember what I told you before? About climaxing?"

"Oh. So…what's…." Tezuka motioned at the wad of tissues Ryoma was holding as he reached out to dispose of them in the wastebasket next to the bed.

"Well, when a person climax they also ejaculate."

"E-e-ja-cu-late?" Tezuka wasn't even sure he knew how to pronounce that word.

"You really don't know anything about sex, do you?"

Though it wasn't meant as a jab at his ignorance, Tezuka apologized, chagrinned at his own level of cluelessness.

The freshman shrugged good-naturedly. "Sorry for what? I probably wouldn't have known all this if I hadn't read up on it either. I guess I'm just a little surprised because, well, with you being older than me, I just thought you would have at least some basic knowledge, even if not the experience."

Tezuka shook his head. "I don't know why, I just…don't know much about all this. I guess I should have paid more attention," he said quietly, though his next thought was he wasn't sure what he would be paying attention to. Of course he knew that some of the other boys in his class were more experienced in these matters, but even though he was on good terms with just about everyone, they would probably never even think of talking to him about sex. Whenever he caught snatches of their conversation on that subject, he would instinctively just turn his attention elsewhere.

Ryoma waved his hand dismissively. "Forget about it, it's no big deal. Shoot, your sheets are a mess too."

"It's all right. I do my own laundry, I'll clean them later." He hesitated. "Echizen, what you just did…what was it?"

"Oh, that. I was giving you oral sex."

"Oh," Tezuka answered, repeating the words in his head. "Eh, so should I…do that for you now?"

"You could do it next time. I'd like to actually have sex now."

"There's more?"

"Yeah, of course. You know how men and women have sex, don't you? Don't tell me you don't even know about that?"

Tezuka scowled at him. "I have some idea."

Smiling to show he was only teasing, Echizen bent over Tezuka so that they could be face to face. "We could do something like that."

The question of how automatically popped into the senior's head but before he had a chance to ask, Ryoma lowered his head to whisper into his ear exactly how. Tezuka's eyes widened and it immediately became clear why the freshman had mentioned earlier that it would probably hurt.

"So, are you still okay with it?" Echizen asked, while looking at him closely. "You can still back out now if you want."

Caught in the intensity of the younger boy's gaze, Tezuka took a deep shaky breath before responding. It's a challenge, he reminded himself. He was actually curious, even if his entire body felt like jelly and he could feel the nervous tension seeping back in. Not to mention, he didn't want to disappoint Echizen, who looked like he could hardly contain himself. Tezuka couldn't recall ever seeing the freshman this excited, even during his matches. The freshman looked as if he had discovered god-like tennis moves and couldn't wait to try them out. Shaking his head, Tezuka replied, "No, let's proceed."

Echizen was visibly relieved. Despite his flippant attitude earlier, he had to admit that it would be a big letdown if Tezuka changed his mind. He would've backed off instantly, of course, since he didn't want to force Tezuka into something like this unwillingly, but he would have been sorely disappointed just the same. "You won't regret it," he promised the senior. "Just relax. First you have to relax. That will help decrease the level of discomfort you'll feel."

"I'll try," was Tezuka's answer, though he wasn't sure just how he would do so.

"Good. Now, can you…here, lift your knees and could you bend them…there, keep them like that? Wait, give me one of the pillows. Okay, here, lift up a little. Now bring your knees back again."

Tezuka shifted slightly, embarrassed by the awkward position he had to hold and by the fact that he was still the only one completely naked and exposed. As if sensing Tezuka's discomfort, Ryoma gave him a quick kiss before scooting off the bed to quickly pull off his remaining clothing. Without the slightest sense of self-consciousness, Echizen got back on the bed to resume his position by the senior's legs.

Tezuka's breath caught as it was his turn to revel in Ryoma's naked form. He drank in the sight before him with much appreciation and a heightened sense of desire. He had never considered Ryoma as physically attractive before they started seeing each other, but after they started dating, he gradually began to see the other boy in a different light. He began to notice his outward appearance, and even caught himself on several occasions ruminating on the perfect shape of Ryoma's pixie face and the alluring quality of his cat-like eyes during class. He would become disconcerted at the direction of his train of thoughts, but now he was finally unabashed to admit that Echizen was really beautiful. He was beautiful from head to toe, especially with that mischievous smile on his face and the twinkle in his feline eyes. Tezuka's heart was suddenly filled with an immense sense of warmth, which drove him to impulsively reach for the other boy to pull him into another kiss, this one much more involved than the last one.

Echizen was the one to break away this time, as he was just about to explode from anticipation. Making a small noise of annoyance, he jumped off the bed again to rummage in his book bag for the item he had almost forgotten. He grinned in relief when he found the small canister of petroleum jelly he had purchased at the convenience store today before he went to the library to wait for Tezuka. He had bought it just in case, even though at the time, he had no way of knowing if he would actually get to use it. Seeing the curious look on Tezuka's face, he explained, "It'll help reduce the discomfort. You could close your eyes if you want. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what I'm doing when you feel it."

Tezuka shook his head, deciding it would probably be better if he watched. He would probably be more nervous if he laid there with his eyes closed the whole time, not knowing what to expect from one moment to the next. He watched as Echizen dipped his fingers into the container of jelly, coating them liberally. After flashing a quick reassuring grin at Tezuka, he began preparing him. At the first sensation of Ryoma's fingers down there, Tezuka jerked, his head popping up from the pillows.

"It's okay," Ryoma said in an almost gentle voice. "I'm preparing you," Ryoma informed him in a rather gentle voice. "First, with one finger, and then…." The freshman continued to provide Tezuka with a running narrative of each step. Despite all efforts on Echizen's part, Tezuka still couldn't help grimacing at the discomfort. In fact, the intrusive feeling was almost unbearable at first since he had never experienced anything like it.

"Relax, relax," Ryoma kept on repeating, concern tingeing his voice. Although he had warned Tezuka of the pain his first time might involve, he almost wished he had asked Tezuka to be seme instead. Tezuka's whole body was rigid with tension and his fists were white from clutching the sheets. Even though Ryoma was eager to the point of trembling, he still forced himself to proceed extra slowly. It took a torturously long time, but at last, Tezuka's body become more accustomed to the foreign sensation. When he could hear that Tezuka's breathing had normalized, Echizen decided it was time. "Are you okay?" he asked the other boy before proceeding.

Incapable of vocalizing his reply, Tezuka only nodded stiffly. After preparing himself—during which he had to pause several times to take calming breaths as he was almost over-excited by this point—he guided himself with excruciating care into Tezuka. He encountered resistance at first; in fact, a few whimpers escaped the upperclassman as he clenched his body. Wincing, Ryoma reminded him to relax, repeating the word like a prayer. Nodding, the older boy's breathing began to quicken again, his hands once again clenched in the sheet. Once Ryoma was in all the way, he stopped to catch his own breath, his hands resting lightly on each of the older boy's knees. He had to close his eyes for a second to savor the moment. This was real, they were actually having sex. _I'm having sex with Tezuka_. He opened his eyes to gaze at Tezuka and found that the other boy was also looking back at him as he continued to breathe open-mouthed. Echizen smiled and pressed a kiss against one of Tezuka's kneecaps. In a husky voice, he whispered, "I'm going to move now, Tezuka." He began to move cautiously at first but it wasn't before long that his movements began picking up speed.

Tezuka did not feel any pleasure at all at first, clenching his teeth as Ryoma thrusted in and out. While the pain began to dissipate somewhat the more Ryoma moved, the feeling of fullness down there was still too weird to be comfortable. But then Echizen suddenly shifted, hitting something inside of him which caused a rush of unbelievable pleasure to course through him like lightening. He gasped loudly as he arched his back, taut as a bow. Even his member, which had been at half-mast, became fully erect in response. As Ryoma continued to hit that spot, Tezuka was soon writhing and moaning uncontrollably in rapture. Noises of pleasure also escaped the freshman, but he was still in a clear enough state of mind to remember to keep quiet, so he bent forward to cover Tezuka's mouth with his own in order to muffle the sounds they were emitting. Due to the difference in height, the senior had to bend forward rather uncomfortably, but he still clung to the younger boy, returning his kisses just as fervently as Ryoma continued to thrust into him.

When Ryoma reached down to take him in his hand, Tezuka hissed and pushed back against him with renewed vigor. As his hand began to move, the older boy gasped and moaned with even more desperation. His cries filled Echizen with more fervor, and he exclaimed Tezuka's name in a strangled voice as he thrust harder and faster, quickly nearing his peak. Tezuka was the first to come, doing so with a sob, his grasp clenching painfully around Echizen's shoulders, legs crossing tightly across the freshman's back to press him even closer. Ryoma followed scant seconds later, with an answering cry of his own, as his head fell forward to rest against the crook of the older boy's neck.

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Afterwards, they lay joined together, too exhausted to move as they tried to catch their breaths. Even though the younger boy was much lighter, his weight on top of the senior eventually became uncomfortable, so with some regret, Tezuka gave Echizen a gentle nudge. The freshman uttered a gruff apology before disengaging himself. He went a bit too quickly, causing the older boy to wince and issue a sharp hiss. Echizen apologized again and then shifted over so that he lay partially splayed across Tezuka's body; he was too lazy to move any further. He rested his head against Tezuka's shoulder, his tongue darting out once in a while to lick at the skin there.

Tezuka lifted one boneless hand to brush it across the freshman's damp forehead before kneading it through the other boy's hair to the back of his head in order to urge him forward for a kiss, albeit a short and sloppy one at that, as they lacked the energy to put their full effort into it. Tezuka never thought it was possible to feel so extremely _satiated_. True, parts of his body was still tender, and he knew that he would probably pay for it tomorrow, but the aches were nothing in comparison to how wonderful he felt at this moment. He couldn't help smiling and his heart felt filled to the brim with a strange sensation of warmth in which he couldn't quite name. He only knew that it made him want to pull Echizen even closer and pepper his lips with even more kisses.

Ryoma glanced up at Tezuka and chuckled. The older boy had an almost stupidly happy look on his face, it was a look that the freshman didn't even think the other boy was capable of. If others could only see him now, their image of the serious and uptight captain would surely be shattered. With a good-natured smirk, he closed his eyes and settled more comfortably around the other boy while saying, "See? I knew you'd enjoy it."

Tezuka sighed and nodded in agreement before showering Echizen's forehead with another series of feather-light kisses. The freshman squirmed a little at the ticklish sensation but did not move away. Even though he could feel that the older boy's stomach and thighs were a sticky mess, he decided they could worry about cleaning it up later. Too tired and at peace for words, the two of them continued to rest, basking in the sound of their breathing. It wasn't before long that the measured breaths became deep ones, as both Tezuka and Ryoma fell into slumber, sleeping the sleep of the utterly content.

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It was quite late in the evening by the time Echizen got home. They hadn't slept for long, it was more of a short nap. A car horn outside had awakened Tezuka, who, upon catching the time on the clock by his bed, immediately shook Ryoma awake. What took longer was what they did afterwards. The freshman first helped Tezuka change the bedsheets so that they could stick the soiled ones in the washing machine. Since they were still a mess themselves, they decided to take a bath together. Being healthy teenagers discovering sex for the first time, they of course couldn't resist fooling around some more. Tezuka even tried to reciprocate the oral services the freshman had performed on him earlier. His initial awkward attempts were rather embarrassing, laughable even, so much that the younger boy was in danger of falling into fits of giggles, even though he was definitely not nor had he ever been, the giggling type. He couldn't resist saying his trademark phrase, "Mada mada dane", which earned him a dirty look from the young captain. That only made him laugh harder.

Insulted, Tezuka glowered and grumbled, "Forget it then," as he started to get up.

The freshman immediately placed a staying hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Wait, wait, sorry, buchou," he said, even though his voice was still filled with the last vestiges of laughter. "Alright, I'll stop laughing. Here, I'll tell you what to do, okay?"

While the sour look didn't immediately clear from Tezuka's face, he did eventually relent and listen to Ryoma as he patiently instructed him.

In the end, everything turned out okay.

Tezuka accompanied the freshman home half of the way since the younger boy insisted that he didn't need to be walked home. The first person to greet him as soon as he stepped over the threshold of his front door was his father who jumped up from his seat on the porch and shouted, "You shitty brat! Where the hell have you been?"

"Nanjiroh!" his wife admonished from beside him. "Keep your voice down, the neighbors might be asleep!" Ryoma saw that even his cousin and Karupin were present. Apparently his whole family had been waiting for him to come home.

"Who cares?" his father continued in a loud voice, "It's this kid's fault for coming home so late. You stupid brat, did you know how worried your mom was?"

"I left a message with Nanako-san."

"You did, did you?-!" Nanjiroh demanded, but then stopped and turning to his wife, asked in a softer voice, "He did?"

"Yes, he did," his niece replied from beside her.

The retired tennis star scratched his chin, puzzled. "Honey, if he did call home, why _were_ you worried?"

Rinko Echizen shot her husband a disapproving look before explaining to her son, "I was worried because you've never come home this late before. Next time, can you tell Nanako-san when you will be coming home as well? Just so I know?"

Feeling a bit guilty since it was obvious he really worried his mother, Ryoma bowed as he apologized. "Sorry, 'Kasan, I'll remember to next time."

His sudden submissive attitude caught all three adults off guard. Although he had always been a bit more respectful towards his mother than anybody else, he had never bowed for her. It prompted the elder Echizen to say, "Wow, you're in a good mood tonight, seishounen. What happened? Were you on a date? Did you get to first base with the girl? Don't tell me you got even further than that?" He elbowed Ryoma in the arm teasingly. "Confess, boy how far did you get? And who's the lucky girl? Was it that old hag's granddaughter? She's a cute one, that one."

Ryoma's face scrunched up in a look of disgust. "No. I was practicing with Tezuka."

"Eh? Practicing? Until this late?-!"

"We lost track of the time."

Nanjiroh scoffed. "You mean to tell me you were playing tennis this whole time? How dumb do you think I am? I wasn't born yesterday, you know."

Echizen shrugged. "I don't care if you don't believe me."

"Oh, Tezuka-kun, he's your team captain, isn't he?" his mother asked.

"Yes."

"Didn't you say he was also tutoring you? That's nice of him. We could pay him…."

"Don't worry about it, 'kasan."

The elder Echizen snorted in disdain. "Honey, you actually believe him? Please, the stupid kid's lying. Practice my ass. As if you don't practice enough after school."

Ryoma scowled at his dad. "See? My hair's still wet from the showers."

"You must've used the girl's shower after you guys finished fooling around."

"Nanjiroh, really," his wife chided him in an exasperated tone.

"Look at him, Rinko! Can't you tell? The stupid kid has this rosy glow about him like he's in the throws of romance or something!"

Ryoma rolled his eyes while his cousin giggled. "I'm going to sleep now. Good night, mom, Nanako-san."

Ignoring his father, he walked past the three of them to go into the house but not before bending down to pick up his cat. Despite his wife's efforts to pull him back, Nanjiroh still followed his son as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom. "Come on, seishonen, just tell me. Who is it? If it's not the old hag's granddaughter, who is it? I know you're dating someone. You've got to be! If you don't tell me, don't think I won't find out eventually!"

When he was outside the door of his bedroom, Echizen stopped and turned to face his father. Smirking, he said, "Good luck trying" before going inside and slamming the door in his dad's face.

Undaunted, Nanjiroh simply smiled and breathed, "Ah, young love", in a sing-song voice, before walking away with bouncing steps, whistling a happy tune.

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**Author's Note:** Wow, you're still here? How sweet of you! Thank you for reading the whole thing! I hope their first time was to your satisfaction, I tried hard not to be too graphic yet at the same time, I wanted to be a bit detailed, so I don't know if I achieved the proper balance to not accidentally deceive y'all with the R rating.

Thank you to Fushigi Tenshi for letting me know the proper names of Ryoma's mom and cousin!

Well, this is it for background. I'm currently working on the snippets, and hopefully, will finish one soon so I can post. Thank you once again for reading, even if you hated the end result. I hope I didn't screw up the characterization too much, but if I did, many apologies to all involved.


	4. Focus: Fishing for Sheep

**Author's Note:** Here's the first of the vignettes I was thinking of even before I started chapter one of the core story. I know it's real short; I'll try to do better next time. 

**Timeline: **Shortly after chapter three; fishing trip was mentioned in there.

**Rating:** G (Heh, sorry)

**Focus: Fishing for Sheep**

Echizen had genuinely been interested when Tezuka first offered to take him fishing, so much that he was actually looking forward to the experience. He'd never gone fishing before and knew very little about it, other than it involved holding a stick with a string from which a worm was hung and fishes would automatically latch on to the bug. He had seen people fishing in real life and on tv; it didn't seem to require a lot of skill or concentration. Since he liked eating fish and being on a boat, he figured the experience should be at least remotely fun.

He was therefore dismayed to learn that he could not have been more wrong.

Fishing was unbelievably _boring_.

With his left palm holding up his head and his right hand grasping the fishing pole in a slack grip, the freshman yawned for what was probably the tenth time in the last thirty minutes. He couldn't remember being more bored in his life. He turned his head slightly to glance over at Tezuka, hoping that the senior didn't catch his yawn. Fortunately, because the two of them were sitting back to back on the boat, the older boy didn't seem to have noticed. Ryoma doubted Tezuka would have noticed even if he yawned in his face since the older boy appeared to be seriously concentrating on what he was doing—which was really just sitting there, holding the fishing pole in a stationary position. He was frankly amazed that the guy could sit there staring at the water for so long without moving. They'd been in the boat for over two hours already, with neither of them succeeding in catching any fish. If it wasn't for the fact that he had caught faint movements in the water every so often, Ryoma would've even doubted the existence of any fish in the lake. Having only seen two other boats in the vicinity since they've been there—even though Tezuka had said it was a good season for fishing—Echizen wondered if perhaps the majority of people knew something Tezuka didn't. Maybe the fishes in this lake were on to this worm on a hook thing, and knew better than to go for it.

The day had started out so promising too! When Ryoma went over to Tezuka's house that morning, he was greeted by the extremely cheerful visage of Tezuka's grandfather, who was elated that his grandson was taking his friend on a fishing trip. The elderly Tezuka even let Echizen borrow his fishing pole, beaming largely as he offered it. The freshman could tell that the young captain was also excited about their trip by the way the smile on Tezuka's face lasted for an inordinately long time and his eyes practically shone. On top of that, the senior was also abnormally chatty. From his house to the train station, and throughout the train ride and their long walk to the lake, the senior had kept up an almost steady stream of conversation about his past fishing expeditions with his grandfather. Echizen had been quite amused by how animated the older boy was. Considering how much Tezuka obviously liked fishing, Echizen wondered why he didn't pursue it as a sport as well, but when he asked the senior about it, the older boy had explained that it was because as much as he enjoyed the pastime, he wasn't very good at it. Echizen initially figured the senior was just exaggerating, but after sitting here with him for two hours, Ryoma realized it was the truth. He also recalled that in all the antidotes Tezuka relayed to him about his fishing expeditions with his grandfather, he never once talked about the actual fish he caught. Now he knew why.

Ryoma yawned silently into his hand again. Not that there wasn't even some small moments of enjoyment. It had been interesting to watch and listen to Tezuka as he explained how to set the line on the pole, choose the lure, and hook up the bait. Then, when Tezuka put on that raggedy old thing he called his fishing hat, the sight was almost enough to make him bow over with laughter. The serious expression on the other boy's face only made him look more ridiculous. The boat ride out into the middle of the lake had also been good, since Tezuka did most of the rowing. He just never expected everything to come to grinding halt as soon as threw out their lines. Then they just sat there, in silence, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

When Ryoma tried to fill the dull silence with conversation, Tezuka had stopped him, explaining that the vibrations of their voices might startle the fishes, warning them of their presence. To make matters worse, the senior had even instructed Echizen to sit with as little movement as possible since the rocking of the boat may also frighten the fishes. Though slightly put off by all these restrictions—how could fishing be called a sport if there was barely any movement involved?—the freshman obeyed, sitting there, still and silent, bored out of his mind.

And sleepy as well. In fact, he almost nodded off during the last blink. Even though it was a partially cloudy day, it was still warm, and whenever the sun broke through the clouds, it would beat down on them relentlessly, making him sweat. Though his cap did protect his head and face from getting sunburned, it did little in shielding the rest of his body. He was sticky from the dried perspiration which seemed to be attracting mosquitoes. The bug repellent they had put on did prevent the insects from biting, but it didn't stop them from buzzing around him. Their presence was aggravating. In addition, his left hand had grown numb since it had been propping his head up for the better part of the last hour. His right hand wasn't faring any better: it was also losing sensation from holding on to the fishing pole without moving for so long. On top of that, the dent his left elbow had been creating on his thigh was starting to bother him. Since he was sitting slightly crouched to the side, his back was steadily becoming sore as well. With a slight scowl, he carefully tried to stretch by sitting up straighter and jutting his shoulders backward. He then tried to maintain a stiff upright and alert position, thinking that would allow him to stay awake, whild holding his fishing pole with both hands. His head started to nod forward in slumber only after a few minutes. Worse yet, because of his new position, the soreness he experienced earlier now extended to his shoulders and hips. He could usually put up with a much higher degree of discomfort, especially during practice or a match; but right now, he found every ache and muscle twitch to be almost unbearable. It was as if the feeling was somehow amplified due to his inactivity.

Finally, tired of having to maintain his position, he shifted carefully, so as not to rock the boat too much, into a position where he sat with his legs to the side and his upper body turned so that his chest was pressed against Tezuka's back and his head against the area between the other boy's two shoulder blades. He supported the fishing pole between his two clasped knees so that he no longer had to hold it with just his hand. He sighed, satisfied with his new position, as it afforded him much more comfort.

Tezuka was surprised when he felt the freshman press against him, but other than turning his head to see what the other boy was doing, he didn't comment on it. He smiled when the other boy expelled a breath of relief, remembering how uncomfortable it had been on his first fishing trip, when he hadn't yet gotten used to sitting on the hardness of the boat plank and holding his position for hours. Though he had been much younger at the time, he still took his grandfather's instructions to keep still very seriously. They had stayed out for three hours, and when they finally got to shore, Tezuka had difficulty getting up from the boat. In fact, his knees had given out on him and he had tripped and fell onto land.

He inherited his love of fishing from his grandfather; their fishing trips together made up a good portion of the best memories of his youth. He had invited his grandfather today as well, but the elderly man had declined, citing his rheumatic joints as the reason. They had actually prevented him from going fishing for quite some time. When Tezuka was younger and his grandfather's joints were in a better shape, they would go fishing on a weekly basis whenever weather permitted. His grandfather first asked him along when he was nine years old; Tezuka could still remember how happy he had been at the invitation. Therefore, despite the almost painful discomfort, he had not complained one bit, afraid that if he did so, his grandfather might change his mind. There was no way for him to know, of course that his grandfather would've continued to bring him along even if he had complained and fidgeted the whole way. The elderly Tezuka had been just as elated that his young grandson had agreed on accompanying him.

In the last two years or so, the frequency of their trips dropped down to barely once a month, since the long walk to the lake, not to mention the difficulty of sitting in the boat for such a long time, had become too much for the old man. Not wanting to give up on the hobby that brought him so many good memories, Tezuka had taken to making the trip to the lake on his own. Since fishing was a naturally solitary sport—with the lack of conversation involved, it hardly mattered whether one had a companion or not—Tezuka had quickly forgotten how it felt to be fishing with someone else. Now, with Ryoma here, the nostalgia of having a fishing companion was fiercely recalled. He was grateful that despite the younger boy's obvious discomfort, he had yet to utter even one word of complaint. And knowing Echizen, that was definitely no small feat. He was touched by the fact that the other boy was willing to tolerate the uncomfortable conditions in silence, instead of demanding to pack up and head home. He knew that the freshman's tolerance was most likely out of consideration for his feelings.

The young captain tipped his head back until it came into contact with the top of the Echizen's head. "Echizen?" he whispered.

The other boy responded with a drowsy sound.

"Thank you."

Without opening his eyes, Echizen asked, "For what?"

"For coming with me today."

A short stretch of silence ensued. Just when Tezuka thought the freshman wasn't going to answer, Ryoma bobbed his head to give the back of Tezuka's head a nudge and then with a smile in his voice, replied, "Okay."

With an answering smile of his own, Tezuka resumed staring at his fishing pole and the water. Echizen eventually did fall asleep against the senior's back. When the senior caught the soft, even breathing sounds coming from the other boy, he bent forward slowly, so that more of Echizen's weight could rest against his back.

The freshman only emitted a soft sigh at the movement, as he continued on with his nap.

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After another hour of fishing without even one catch, Tezuka mercifully decided that it was time to pack up and leave. On the train ride back, it was the senior's turn to doze off. For almost the entire time, Echizen sat watching him sleep, he couldn't resist it. Even when he tried to look out the window at the passing scenery, his eyes would inevitably be drawn back to the other boy's face. He wasn't sure what it was about Tezuka's face that captured his attention so, he only knew that he could probably stare at it for hours on end. Remarkably, it never even crossed Ryoma's mind that there might be something slightly odd about that.

Tezuka woke at the sound of the train operator announcing the arrival at their stop. He was naturally disconcerted when he turned to find Echizen's large eyes trained on him, his face only inches away. Momentarily flustered, Tezuka could only return the other boy's gaze, even as he felt his cheeks warming. In fact, the warmth began to spread to other parts of his body. When he realized what was happening, he immediately broke their eye contact and cleared his throat before saying gruffly, "We better get off."

Once they left the train, they stood around on the sidewalk in front of the station for a while, deciding what to do next, as both of them were reluctant to end their outing when it was still so early in the afternoon. Echizen eventually came up with the suggestion of playing a few games at the Haruno University courts, to which the senior readily agreed. They had to first go back to Tezuka's house in order to trade their fishing gear for tennis gear. Not wanting to go home to get his own racket in case they should bump into his father, Echizen simply borrowed one of the senior's.

When they arrived at the Haruno courts, they found them to be occupied, so they had to wait their turn. Thankfully, one of the courts became vacant when the people playing (whom stank, in Echizen's opinion) got tired of chasing after their own balls. Upon seeing the amazing abilities of the two boys, the people in the other court also left, the sense of inferiority becoming too much for them to deal with. In the end, only Tezuka and Ryoma remained, and they played for a long time, until the evening floodlights came on. Since Tezuka insisted that it should only be a friendly practice match, they didn't keep score. At least not out loud, since Echizen was keeping track of the points in his head the whole time. He was not just a little piqued when he realized that he had once again lost to Tezuka—by a pretty wide margin at that—at the end of their extended match. As retaliation for his defeat, the younger boy left for the locker rooms without bothering to pick up the balls. When Tezuka finally met up with him, the older boy muttered the words "sore loser" to Echizen before heading off to the showers himself.

Afterwards, they ate at a ramen stand near the university where they decided that their next stop should be the arcade. In trying to figure where the closest arcade was, Echizen was surprised when the older boy said, "I know of a place near by."

"_You_ know? You've been there?"

Tezuka nodded. "Actually, I'm quite familiar with the arcades in this area. Our previous team captain liked playing video games too. Whenever I needed to look for him, I would always find him at one arcade or the other. That's why I know where each of them are in this area."

"But you've never played?"

"No. I would usually just go in to look for him. I never felt the urge to try it out."

Echizen gave him a wry look, only to shrug nonchalantly in the next second. "You probably would've picked one of the lame games anyway."

"Hmmph," was Tezuka's only response to the insult.

After getting all his men killed in the first five minutes for the fourth time, Tezuka turned to Echizen and deadpanned, "And how come this is not lame?"

Rolling his eyes, Echizen answered, "It's not the game's fault that you suck, Kuni-chan." When GAME OVER flashed on the screen for the fifth time, he added, "And I even chose an easy game for you."

The other boy shot a look at Echizen that could have passed for a glare before going over to the token machine to change more coins. "You know this is my first time playing," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but you're still worse than I thought possible."

"I'm improving."

Ryoma snorted. "No, you aren't."

"I lasted more than five minutes in the last game."

"Only because you spent the first minute just standing there."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is. You stood there just staring for an entire minute before doing anything."

"It was not an entire minute."

"It was. I was watching the timer."

Tezuka expelled a breath forcefully in frustration when the first of his three men died in the course of their brief conversation. "That's amazing, you're actually getting worse," the freshman teased.

Without looking at him, Tezuka intoned, "That's 50 laps tomorrow during practice."

Ryoma chuckled. "_Now _who's the sore loser? And on top of that, you're abusing your authority too, Tezuka-buchou."

"It's justified punishment for your insolent behavior."

"My what behavior?"

"Ōhei na...in other words, I am disciplining you for being a brat." The older boy was barely able to control the smile he felt from creeping into his voice. Though they habitually traded barbs in this manner, it was actually something new to Tezuka, having never bantered with anyone before until he started going out with Echizen. The freshmen seemed to enjoy baiting him whenever possible, and while at first he had taken the younger boy's jabs seriously, he eventually realized that they were only meant in good humor. Therefore, as a means of defense, he quickly learned to give as good as he got.

"I'm a brat?" Echizen scoffed. "If I'm a brat then so are you."

"That would be a good argument if it made sense."

"You're only two years older than me. I would hardly think you have the right to call me a brat."

"I claim the right as your senpai and your captain."

"But we're not in school right now. Especially since when it comes to video games, you're obviously my kouhai."

Tezuka opened his mouth but found that he had no comeback for that. He snapped it shut with a frown, which deepened further at the sight of Echizen's smug grin. "Make that 100 laps," he grumbled.

To which Echizen responded with, "Sore loser."

When his last man died, Tezuka exhaled sharply, truly exasperated now. As he was about to drop in more coins to restart the game, the other boy chuckled and stopped him. Echizen nudged him aside firmly and suggested with faked magnanimity, "Here, why don't you let me show you the _proper_ way of playing this."

Though put off by the other boy's cockiness, Tezuka had no choice but to watch. Echizen became almost unbearably smug after he entered his name into the top scores listing for the fourth time. "Alright," was the only thing Tezuka said in acknowledgement of his skill, even though he was secretly impressed. When it was his turn again, he eventually did manage to get past the first level after numerous tries. By then, the freshman was already tired of the game so he suggested they tried others out. They ended up staying for another two hours so by the time the left the arcade, it was well into the evening. Still adrenalized from the games they just played, they decided to walk around for a while. Not wanting his mother to worry again, Echizen called home on his cellphone, but instead of his cousin picking up as usual, his father answered instead. Ignoring his immediate onslaught of questions, the freshman conveyed his message in an abrupt and concise manner and then hung up without waiting for a response.

Since it was a weekend, many shops were still opening so they found plenty of sights to occupy their time. They actually spotted a few people from their school and from other schools which they recognized, but luckily for them, the other people either were not facing the right direction or simply did not see them.

When they got back to Tezuka's house, Echizen followed him inside at his invitation. They quietly went upstairs to the senior's bedroom, so as not to disturb his grandparents, and then had sex just as quietly. Thoroughly spent and exhausted from all the accumulated activities of the day, they called it a night. When Tezuka offered to walk Echizen home, the freshman did not argue this time. Though they did not say it out loud, both of them still were reluctant to let the evening end, even though it was already well past midnight. They took their time in walking to Echizen's house, but once they arrived, they had no choice but to bid each other a good night. As the senior was about to leave, Ryoma stopped him by calling out, "Tezuka."

The other boy gazed back at him expectantly.

"Let's go fishing again soon."

At the curious look the senior shot him, the young tennis prodigy smirked and explained, "Your back was very comfortable."

Smiling in understanding, Tezuka replied, "I'm glad you enjoyed it".

With a reflective smile, Echizen stood there for a long moment more, continuing to watch Tezuka's receding form. Only when the senior became nothing a blur in the distance did he finally turn away to go inside his house.

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**Author's Note:** For your information, I actually love fishing. I don't know what Ryoma's problem is.


	5. Focus: Big News

**Author's Note:** I seem to be having some line-spacing issues with the doc transfer to so please pardon the little "O" line savers. Erm, there's some usage of _italics _and CAPITALIZATION here; I hope it's clear enough what I mean by them in the context of what is being said or what is happening. Okay, enjoy!

**Timeline:** Somewhere chapter two and three.

**Rating:** G

**Focus: Big News**

Momoshiro was about to explode.

Panting harshly, he had to stop a moment to catch his breath. He bent over with his hands on his knees to support himself as he swallowed large gulps of air. He had just run straight from the park, which was three blocks away, all the way to the where he was standing right now, in front of a convenience store. He would've kept going if his lungs hadn't screamed in protest. He was almost too excited to stay stationary. He couldn't believe what he just saw. It was almost too shocking for words. In fact, a part of his mind was still in a daze. It had to be _the_ biggest thing to happen in the history of the planet since…since….

_Nothing._ _Nothing could beat _that. _Oh this is huge. HUGE. Man! I have to…I have to…._

"Breath!" he reminded himself. His breaths were coming in quick pants again. He needed to calm down and breathe right so he could think clearly about what to do next. With something this big, certain actions needed to be taken, if he only knew what. There had to be some kind of proper procedures to follow when one got to witness what he'd just witness. It was too much to keep hold in. He paused. Wait, that's it. He did know what to do. He had to tell someone. He had to tell someone _right now _or else. But _who?_ Who could he tell? _Who do I tell first?-!_, he thought frantically.

He paced back and forth in two-step counts in front of the store. Pulling out his cellphone, he clutched it tightly in his right hand while jamming the base of his left hand against his forehead as he tried to decide whom to call first. He knew he was practically freaking-out but he just couldn't help it. He was unaware of how disturbing he looked with his face flushed and sweaty from exertion and his lips stretched in a large and slightly psychotic grin that resembled a scary grimace. His weird appearance and behavior was actually earning him worried looks from the people inside of the store. And those who passed him on the street would either cut him a wide path or throw him concerned looks out of the corner of their eyes.

His sudden out burst of "AAAH! Shimatta!" caused a woman, who had been trying her best to get by him unnoticed, to drop her purse in surprise, spilling the contents inside. When the second-year realized what he'd done, he immediately apologized and dropped down to a crouch to help her. In response, the woman made a strange whimper-like noise and simply hurried off, leaving many of her personal items still lying on the ground.

"Hey, lady!" Momo called out. "Your stuff!" But the woman just quickened her pace without even glancing back. Shrugging, the second year dropped the compact he was holding and muttered, "what a weirdo", before returning to what he had been doing.

At last it came to him. "Of course! Oishi-senpai!" How stupid could he be? Considering the persons involved, Oishi was the _obvious_ person to contact first.

He quickly dialed the vice captain's number and as soon as he picked up, Momo got straight to the point without any preamble. "Oishi-senpai! Can you meet me somewhere now?"

There was a pause on the other end before Oishi hesitantly inquired, "Uh, is this Momoshiro?"

"Yeah, it's me. Where are you?"

"Um, I'm…."

"Can you meet me at Hirosue's?"

"Actually, I'm…."

"Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, but Momo—"

"Are you close by? How long are you going to be?"

"I'm about a block a—"

"Yosh, excellent. I'll see you there in a bit then."

"Momo! Would you—what's this about?"

"I'll tell you when you get there. It's…AH! I can't even _describe_ it over the phone! It has to do with certain members of our teams. A certain TWO members of our team!"

"What are you talking about?"

"JUST GET OVER HERE IMMEDIATELY! I'm gonna explode if I don't tell someone soon!"

Before Oishi could ask another word, Momo clicked off the phone, too excited to wait. _Oishi-senpai's gonna _flip out _when I tell him, _Momoshiro thought eagerly. Feeling re-energized, he power-walked his way to the ice cream parlor where they were to meet, his mad grin widening further in anticipation.

O

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Oishi had actually been closer to the ice cream parlor than Momo because when the latter arrived, he saw that the senior was already sitting at a table there waiting for him.

Along with Fuji, Eiji, Kaidoh, Inui, and Kawamura.

Slightly out of breath, Momoshiro stopped short, his mouth dropping open at the sight of the other regulars. Eiji was the first to spot him and shouted out to his teammate while waving at him enthusiastically. The other boy stayed momentarily rooted in place, still reeling from the fact that the others were present. After a beat, he strode over to the table, stopping directly in front of Oishi to loom over him with a scowl. "Oishi-senpai, I can't believe you brought everybody!" he exclaimed in an accusatory tone.

Oishi started. "What? No, they—"

Fuji interrupted helpfully with, "I was already here with Eiji and Taka-san when Oishi came in with Kaidoh and Inui."

Momo's scowl remained. "So you brought Inui _and_ Mamushi?" he questioned with unabated annoyance.

Kaidoh hissed in irritation at hearing his nickname while standing in challenge. "You got a fucking problem with that?" he demanded.

"Hell yeah!" the other boy shot back. "What the hell are _you_ doing here, you damn viper? I didn't invite you!"

"I'll be wherever I want to be, bastard."

"Even when you're not invited? Talk about thick-skinned."

"Who said I'm not invited?"

"I don't remember inviting you!"

"Oi, oi, oi, you two, calm down, will you?" Oishi interceded while putting a hand on each of the two boys, who were ready to do more than stare daggers at one another. "_I_ invited him, Momo. And Inui. I was with them when you called. You said on the phone that you had to talk to me about our team, so naturally, I told them to come along."

"Oh." Momo slumped down into the booth, a mildly sour look still remained on his face. He had only intended to tell the vice captain about what he saw, not the rest of the regulars. In the presence of his team members, he was beginning to feel a bit deflated. He was even starting to have second thoughts. It was one thing telling Oishi but he wasn't sure he was ready to tell the others? The truth of the matter was, he wasn't sure that he should.

"Ah, we're missing some people." Inui pointed out. "Should I call Tezuka and Echizen?" He took his cell phone out and was about to dial the captain's number when Momoshiro snatched the phone from his hand and snapped in a panicked voice, "No! Do _not _call them!"

Frowning at the second year's odd behavior, Oishi asked, "Why can't we call them? If it has something to do with our team, Tezuka of all people should be involved as well."

"And Ochibi," Eiji added.

Momoshiro hesitated for a few seconds more. Finally, after taking a deep breath, he glanced around the restaurant cautiously before motioning the others to move in closer so that he could tell them in a heated whisper, "The reason we can't call them is because this _is_ about them."

"What do you mean?" This from Inui.

The other boy paused, unsure again. _Should_ he tell them everything? What if it were to get back to the captain and Echizen? He wasn't worried so much about the younger boy, but the captain was another thing. He had a lot of respect for Tezuka and somehow, it didn't seem right to be spreading gossipy news about him like this. Telling Oishi would've been okay, since he trusted the senior enough to know that he had some sense of propriety, but the rest of them? Especially that damned viper? Not to mention Inui, who was known to use any information he could get on his opponents against them? Momoshiro bit his lower lip in uncertainty as he ran his fingers through his hair. He really wished Oishi hadn't brought those two along? And of all the ice cream parlors in the city, why did the other three have to choose this place today? _What should I do? What the hell should I do now?_ he pondered worriedly.

Just then the waitress came by to take their orders, giving the boy more time to think. When he still didn't answer even after she left, Oishi urged, "Momoshiro, speak up already. What's this all about?"

The second year grimaced as he vigorously scratched his spiky hair. _Alright, alright, fine, they'll probably find out eventually anyway. I mean, not that the buchou and Echizen were being careful exactly. They didn't even notice me._ Inhaling deeply, he looked each of them in the eyes and began by saying, "Alright. I'll tell you guys, but you _have_ to promise not to say anything to anyone else."

"Dan-nyah? Say _what_ to anyone else? Momo, you're driving me crazy!" Eiji cried. "Just tell us already!"

"No, first you guys have to promise before I say anything."

"But who would we say what to?"

"JUST PROMISE!"

Offended at being barked at, Eiji yelled back, "FINE! I PROMISE! I promise not to say whatever to whomever! 'Taku!" The senior fell back against the seat with his arms crossed, pouting like a disgruntled puppy.

Momoshiro turned to the others. "How about you guys?"

With collective shrugs, the four remaining seniors nodded. Kaidoh grudgingly followed along a few seconds later with a dismissive "che, whatever".

Assured of their commitment to secrecy, Momoshiro nodded in satisfaction and said, "Good. Good. Okay." He couldn't help chortling. "You guys are not going to believe what I'm about to tell you. I can't _wait _to see your faces!" Realizing that the excitement was getting the better of him again, the junior took another deep breath to settle down. "Alright, where should I start?"

"Just START!" Eiji commanded sharply.

"Alright, alright! Just give me a minute; this is huge! I can't believe I'm gonna tell you guys this. Okay! Okay! So, a few days ago, I was talking to Tachibana's sister…."

"Tachibana's sister? Who's that?" Kawamura interjected.

"I think she was at the District finals," Fuji supplied.

Impatient, Momo tried to continue but was once again interrupted by Inui. "Oh, you mean the girl with the hairclips?"

"Oh, that girl. She was cute!" Eiji remarked with enthusiasm. "You know her, Momo?"

"Huh? Uh, no. I mean, yes, I guess. Well, I just bumped into her a couple of times. Anyway…."

His senpai became suspicious at that. "You just _bumped_ into her?"

"Uh, yeah, that's what I just said, isn't it?

"Are you _sure_ that's it, Momo?"

"Hah? Of course that's it! What else is there?"

"Yeah, but a _couple_ of times?"

"I. Told. You. Yes, a couple of times! I can't control where she goes!"

Fuji played along with Eiji. "Mmm, but to be able to bump into someone several times like that must require a high degree of chance. Wouldn't you say, Inui?"

"Ah yes. The probability of bumping into someone on several occasions in a city this size would be about 30, especially considering that Fudomine isn't within walking distance of Seigaku."

Eiji nodded avidly while giggling. The other boys were trying to hide their laughter at how aggravated Momo was becoming. "You're just making that number up, Inui-senpai! And plus, it's not my fault she goes to McDonald's and the park courts all the time!" the second year countered desperately.

"Wow, so you even know the places she frequents? You two must be closer than you're letting on," Eiji insinuated.

"Th-th-" Momo sputtered. "There is nothing going on between Tachibana's sister and me! And that is not the point! This is not about me!"

Though amused by the hard time they were giving Momo, Oishi was becoming a little anxious about what Momo had to tell them, so he interceded with, "Eiji, guys, come on, stop teasing him. Momoshiro, so continue with what you were saying. What's this about?"

"I _told _you already! It's about Tezuka-buchou and Echizen!"

"What about Tezuka and Echizen?" Kawamura asked.

"If _someone _hadn't interrupted me, I would've _told_ you already," Momo forced through clenched teeth.

"Get on with it, you stupid turd, you're boring me," Kaidoh groused.

It took Fuji, Oishi, and Taka to stop the resulting near-scuffle between the two juniors. In the process, they almost succeeded in causing the waitress, who had been approaching their table with their order, to spill all the contents of her tray. The two culprits apologized profusely to the upset woman while taking the tray of drinks from her carefully and unloading them onto the table. After she left, Oishi gave both of his bickering teammates a stern look as he said, "Can we please stop acting like two year olds? And guys, no more interruptions. Momo, speak."

Even though Momoshiro was still seething, after shooting another dirty look at Kaidoh (which was returned with equal venom), he continued. "As I was _saying_, when I bumped into Tachibana's sister the other day at the park courts, she asked me if I had an argument with Echizen."

Kikumaru opened his mouth to ask something but shut it when Oishi shook his head surreptitiously. "Of course I asked her why'd she think that, and she said it's because she doesn't see us hanging out at McDonald's together anymore. Instead, she sees Echizen with Tezuka-buchou."

Oishi started. Forgetting his own earlier admonishment, he asked, "Tezuka and Echizen? What were they doing there?"

"Yeah, I asked the same thing, and she said they would just be eating and chatting."

"_Chatting_?" The flabbergasted expression on Eiji's face was almost comical.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. When was the last time anyone ever saw the captain and Echizen being chatty? Especially the captain. At first, I figured they must've been discussing something related to school, tennis or even the Regionals, but then she said she highly doubted it."

"Why's that?" It was Inui's turn to question. By now, everyone, even Kaidoh, was engrossed in Momoshiro's story.

"She didn't think they were talking about something serious because they always seemed to be enjoying themselves. She even saw them laugh about something once in a while."

"No way!" Eiji breathed in disbelief. He couldn't remember ever seeing Tezuka chuckle, much less laugh, and when he tried to imagine it, he failed miserably.

"I couldn't believe it either, but she swore by her words."

Encouraged by the flummoxed expressions on three of his five teammates—Fuji still had a calm demeanor while Inui looked contemplative—Momoshiro went on, becoming increasingly exhilarated, "So I asked her, why didn't she just go up to them and say hi so she could find out what they were talking about, but then she said she didn't want to intrude because—and these are her words—they looked like they were kinda close."

Kikumaru crinkled his brow in confusion. "Nyah?"

Lowering his voice even further, Momo said, "She thinks they were _on a date_."

At first, utter silence greeted the second year. The spell was broken by when Eiji exploded in laughter. "D-date?" The senior exclaimed incredulously. "That's hilarious, Momo! Can you even _imagine?_ Tezuka and Ochibi! On a _date_? That girl of yours is nuts!"

Eiji's loud cackles were echoed on a much milder scale by Oishi and Kawamura. Even Kaidoh snorted disdainfully. "What changed your mind?" Fuji asked quietly. Upon hearing the seriousness in the tensai's voice, the others instantly started to quiet down.

A corner of Momoshiro's lips quirked up. "Hmmph. Yeah, I thought she was nuts too. In fact, I laughed so hard at what she was saying that I almost wet my pants."

_Start of Flashback_

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"_What's so funny?-!" Tachibana's sister was demanding indignantly as Momoshiro doubled over with laughter._

_At first, the boy couldn't even manage an answer, but when he was finally able to breathe again, he stammered out, "The-the captain and Echizen! Mataku! The _mere_ idea. Do you even _know_ how ridiculous that sounds?"_

_Twisting her lips in a frown, Ann Tachibana replied haughtily. "You know, now that I think about it, I am _positive_ they were on a date. I know what I saw."_

"_Yeah, you saw the two of them sitting there, eating and talking. Imagine that! A captain and a member of his team, sitting together over food, talking. What is the world coming to? What, your brother never talks to his team members outside of school? I gotta hand it to you, that's some imagination you got. Dating. Geez!"_

_Completely offended by the boy's taunting attitude, Ann jammed her fists on her hips in a defiant stance. "Hmmph! You weren't there, were you? _I_ was and I could tell when two people are on a date."_

_Momoshiro stared at her, utter disbelief written all over his face. "How? You psychic or something? Were they holding hands? Making kissy faces? What?"_

"_Nooo. I could just tell. A woman knows these things."_

_At that, the second-year started to laugh even harder. Rolling her eyes and scoffing in disgust, Ann picked up her belongings and started to leave. She was about to turn away when she stopped and said in a derisive tone, "If you don't believe me, go see for yourself. Why don't you follow your little freshman one of these days?"_

_She then stepped forward until she was only an inch away from Momoshiro and jabbed one of her index fingers into the boy's shoulder, hard enough to make him wince. "But if I'm right," she stated with gritted teeth, "You are to apologize to me. On. Your. Knees. Idiot!" She punctuated the last words with a painful stab into his shoulder. With one last especially strong stab, she twirled and marched away, leaving Momoshiro behind, still chuckling while rubbing his abused shoulder._

O

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_End of Flashback _

"Of course I didn't believe her," Momo said, ending his recollection. "Didn't even think about it until today."

"What? What happened today?" Kawamura prompted, transfixed.

"You know how Echizen and I usually walk home together after practice? For the past week or so, we stopped doing that because he said his computer at home broke down so he had to use the ones in the library to do homework. Of course I didn't think there was anything strange about that, until at lunch today when I overheard Echizen talking about this thing he printed from his computer last night, some kind of homework assignment. Some freshman was asking him about it and that's when I heard Echizen mention how he just upgraded some graphics program he had, so that's why he was able to do all this fancy stuff. I wasn't paying that much attention at the time, but then afterwards, I started thinking, huh, that's weird, wasn't his computer still down? And if he had it fixed already, why was he still staying behind after practice? That's when I remember what Tachibana's sister told me, so after practice today, I followed him.

"He did go to the library, just like he said he would, but he wasn't using any of the computers. Instead, he just took out his books and started doing homework. I thought, that was a little odd, cuz, why can't he just go home to do homework, right? So I decided to wait a while more. Nothing happened for a long time. I mean, he was just doing homework, it was pretty boring. But just when I was about to give up and go home, Tezuka popped up."

His audience was truly captivated now, staring at him with eager expressions. Even Fuji's eyes had widened somewhat. No one said a word even when Momoshiro had to pause to take a long sip from his ice cream soda. "Yeah, imagine how surprised I was. So I tailed them. I was still thinking at this point that maybe they were meeting up to practice together, something like that. But nope, just like she said, they went to McDonald's to eat. And yeah, it did look like they were having a good time together. I swear I've never seen Tezuka-buchou smile so much. Come to think of it, I don't even remember when was the last time I saw the captain smile. Or if I ever did. I'm not saying that Tezuka's some kind of humorless zombie or anything, but you know, this is _Tezuka_ we're talking about."

Eiji, Kaidoh, and Kawamura nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "They headed straight for the park after that, to the duck pond. They were just sitting there on the bench like forever and a day; they didn't even talk to each other much. By now, I was thinking, what the heck? I mean, why are the two of them just sitting there look at the stupid ducks? It didn't make sense, right? And no sooner had I finished thinking about that, the wildest thing happened."

"What?-! What?-! What?-!" Kikumaru demanded excitedly.

"They—they—" Momoshiro had to stop and take another sip, his face was already beginning to heat as the memory of what he saw resurfaced in his mind. "They…man, you guys are _not_ gonna believe this!"

"_What?-!" _Oishi and Eiji shouted at the same time. Kaidoh, Kawamura and Inui were all leaning in closer in rapt attention.

"They…okay…Echizen just sorta turned and looked at the captain and then kinda leaned in and...and…_kissed_ him. Right smack on the lips!"

Eiji gasped loudly as he drew back in shock. Oishi and Kawamura were overcome with almost identical expressions of slack-jawed disbelief. Kaidoh remained passive at first, but as Momoshiro's words finally sunk in, his eyes widened to the size of miniature ping-pong balls and his face began to redden at an alarming rate. When the image of Tezuka and Echizen locked in an intimate embrace appeared unbidden in his head, his face froze with an expression akin to horror while glowing with a fierce blush at the same time. Inui, on the other hand, reacted at a slightly more subtle manner, as his cheeks became tinged with color. He pushed his glasses up his nose as slumped back against the chair, as if all the air had suddenly left his body.

Fuji was the only one who continued to have a tranquil look on his face, the serenity of his smile never wavering.

Grinning with satisfaction at the response of most of his audience, Momo nodded happily and reiterated, "Yep, they were kissing all right. They were going at it for a while too. Not that I wanted to stare or anything, but you know, I was shocked! For the longest time, I couldn't even move. And they never stopped kissing in all that time. It was pretty amazing."

The others remained silent, shell-shocked, except for Fuji, who stated quietly, "That does seem to be a good indication that they're dating."

In light of the others' dramatic reaction to the news, Momoshiro was unsettled by Fuji's calmness. "I would say so! 'Taku, how could you even be so calm, Fuji-senpai? I was _this close_ to passing out when I saw them like that! 'Good indication that they're dating'…that's an understatement if I ever heard one!"

Resting his elbows on the table, the tensai folded his hands underneath his chin to support his head and shrugged one shoulder. "Sorry, Momo. I must confess I had already guessed they were seeing each other, though I am a bit surprised at how far they've gone. That'll teach me not to underestimate Echizen ever again."

It was Momoshiro's turn to start in astonishment. "G_uessed_? How the hell'd you guess?" he sputtered. The others had now turned their attention to gawking at Fuji.

"I've been watching them," the senior answered easily. "Haven't any of you noticed how they've been acting recently?"

While the other four regulars carried blank looks, Inui hummed thoughtfully as he considered Fuji's words. He absently poked at the right corner of his lips with his pen while looking up as if studying the ceiling. "Ah, now that you've mentioned it, there has been some oddness," he mused after a moment.

Puckering his brows in confusion, Momoshiro pictured his stoic captain and had to ask, "How could you guys even _tell_?"

Fuji shrugged and replied easily, "I know Tezuka. As for Echizen, haven't you noticed how much he watches Tezuka?"

The second year scratched his head. "What's so weird about that? We all watch Tezuka-buchou when he's playing. It would especially make sense for Echizen to watch him since he probably sees the captain as a rival and is probably trying to find some way to defeat him."

"True, but that's not how he looks at Tezuka."

"Mmm, yes," Inui agreed. "His look is somehow more…_intense_."

Fuji nodded in approval. "That's a good word for it."

"Intense, how?" Momo insisted, still not comprehending. "What does he do, drool or something?"

"Not quite. It's more like this…." In the very next instant, the expression in Fuji's eyes changed: they opened all the way and he gazed unblinkingly upon the other boy as if he were trying to consume him with a mere look. Growing more uncomfortable under the heated gaze, Momo swallowed hard and tried to look away without much success as he found that his own eyes were constantly drawn back to the senior's. He shifted in his seat and began to say, "Uuh…" when Fuji broke the spell by chuckling softly and pulling back.

"Now you know what I mean," the tensai said.

Looking down at the table, Momo could only nod, as he was still reeling from Fuji's look. He could feel his cheeks flooding with warmth. At the back of his head, he wondered how the captain could even manage to function normally if Echizen was staring at him like that on a daily basis. As far as he knew, the senior never even gave any indication that he noticed. Small wonder that they were already at the point where they were making out in public.

Meanwhile, finally free of the shocked daze he was in, Kikumaru sat up straight and asked in a hushed but excited voice, "Fuji! Do you think they're in _love_?"

The other boy considered the question seriously. After a moment, he answered truthfully, "I'm not sure, actually."

"They must be! They were kissing, weren't they? How can you kiss someone like that if you aren't in love with them?"

At those words Oishi glanced at Eiji surreptitiously. His breath caught in the next instant, as his tennis partner turned to direct his gaze on him, asking, "Isn't that right, Oishi?" Feeling like a deer trapped in front of headlights, Oishi gulped painfully. He knew that Eiji was only seeking confirmation, but the question still brought him great embarrassment, which overcame the vice captain's ability to even form a simple sentence in answer. He could only dip his head forward in two quick nods. His inner sigh of relief was almost audible when Eiji swung his attention back to Fuji.

"There's definitely a mutual attraction there," Fuji continued in a thoughtful way, "but I doubt either of them knows how deep it runs. They might not even consciously know how they feel about each other yet. The level of physical attraction can sometimes be quite separate from emotional commitment."

Eiji crinkled his brows and cocked his head with a perplexed look. "I don't understand! How could they like each other enough to kiss but not be in love at the same time, nyah?"

Fuji could only continue to flash his trademark smile. As much as he cared about his friend, he knew it was quite a hopeless endeavor to try and explain to Eiji the many complexities of human attraction. Even though he was already fifteen and only a few months younger than himself, Eiji was still a bit behind in terms of the level of maturity. It wasn't that he was stupid, far from that, in fact. The reason was mostly that Kikumaru simply did not seem to care to take the time to look at things in more than a one-dimensional manner. Things were either black or white for him; the phrase, "it's more complicated than that" just did not exist in his mind. It was this innocent and carefree quality which endeared the other boy to many of his fellow teammates and classmates, but it was also what made in-depth discussions about affairs of the heart and mind at times frustrating. On that thought, Fuji couldn't help glancing quickly at Oishi, who had the unenviable, albeit self-ordained, task of waiting for Eiji to grow up so that he could share his feelings of attraction with him. Fuji always thought that Oishi's quality of perseverance was perhaps the most admirable of all.

"I wonder who made the first move," Inui was saying. "With the two of them being the way they are, it will be interesting to find out how they got together in the first place."

"My bet is on Echizen being the one to make the first move," Momo declared with confidence. "That little twerp has no fear."

"Perhaps," Fuji replied. "Either way, it's probably best for us not to discuss this matter in front of them."

At that, Eiji immediately piped up with, "Waaah! Why not?-!"

"I doubt it was their intention for us to find out like this."

"So what? I _have to_ give Ochibi a hard time about this!"

"Oh yeah…Yeah! I hadn't thought about that!" Momo exclaimed. "Can you imagine the look on Echizen's face when he finds out we know?" He paused to picture it and then chortled in delight.

Frowning, Oishi started saying, "Guys, I don't think that's a good idea," but was interrupted by Kikumaru, who interjected with, "Mou! Why not, Oishi?-! This is a _golden_ opportunity! Imagine all the fun we could have! We can't let this pass by!"

"I agree, I agree," Momoshiro added while nodding eagerly.

"Momoshiro! May I remind you that y_ou_ were the one who told us not to say anything in the beginning?-!" Oishi pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was _before_ I realized the advantages. It's our only chance to wipe that smug look off that brat's face!"

Even Kaidoh couldn't resist smirking in agreement with Momoshiro.

"Assuming of course he would even react." Inui intoned. "Were they being particularly secretive about seeing each other?"

Momo paused to think. "Mmm, well, I guess not really. I mean, they did go to McDonald's and _everybody_ goes to McDonald's. I guess they could've chosen somewhere farther from school."

"So maybe they don't care if we know," Inui surmised. Rubbing his chin, a corner of his lips pulled back in a sly smile as he mused aloud, "This may prove to be useful."

"Inui!" Both Eiji and Kawamura called out at once, though for different reasons.

Eiji went on to say, "Great idea! We could use this to blackmail Ochibi!"

Kawamura, on the other hand, said fretfully, "I don't think that would be a good idea, Inui. Not to mention, everyone, don't forget this involves Tezuka as well. Even if we don't consider Echizen's feelings, we should at least consider his. He might not enjoy the jokes."

While Fuji knew that Tezuka did have some sense of humor despite his outward solemnity, he was more concerned about how Tezuka would react to the mere fact that his teammates knew he was dating one of their own. He knew that his friend's strong sense of propriety might cause him to worry about whether or not it was proper for a captain to be dating one of his own teammates, or even for an upperclassman to be courting a freshman. Though they were only two years apart, the relationship of senpai and kouhai still held, and Fuji knew Tezuka always took the responsibilities that came with being a role model very seriously. Not to mention the fact that the school in general frowned upon intimate social relationships of any kind. If these issues were really brought to Tezuka's attention, Fuji wondered if his budding relationship with Echizen would hold up to all the questions that would inevitably come up in the young captain's mind. Frankly, he was surprised that Tezuka hadn't already considered this on his own. It may be a testament to how enamored his friend was of Echizen that he was too distracted to even think of anything else. Either that or it was an indicator of how overwhelmed Tezuka was to the new and unfamiliar territory that was dating, so much so that he actually hadn't even been able to consider about the other realities related to their situation. Fuji was more inclined to think it was the latter reason.

He continued to contemplate about these concerns, while the others went on to discuss and bicker amongst themselves (namely, Eiji and Momoshiro were having a verbal tug-of-war with Oishi and Taka-san regarding how to use this information to their advantage, while Inui and Kaidoh were just watching from the sidelines. Inui only occasionally injected his own thoughts about the matter, which usually favored team Eiji and Momo).

_Tezuka and Echizen have only been dating…at most…two weeks…no, the relationship is still in its infancy, _Fuji thought. _Their level of commitment has barely been established._ While it was true they could be a bit more discreet, it was one thing to be seen standing together, and quite another to be teased about their relationship. Tezuka, without question, would end the relationship if he even remotely believed that it would be causing Echizen even an inkling of trouble, and the freshman was probably not invested enough at this point to insist on continuing. They needed more time before they could be confronted with any obstacles. With time, the emotional investment on both sides would be deeper thereby their bond will be stronger.

Yes, Fuji decided, for Tezuka's sake, he had to convey all this clearly to his teammates so that they would be willing to keep the secret for a while more.

"I think," the tensai began in a gentle tone that nevertheless succeeded in catching everyone's attention, "that it would be to both sides' advantage to leave them be for now."

"FUUUJI! But whyyyy?-!" Eiji whined.

"I do agree that a lot of fun could be had at their expense. I hadn't even thought of that until you brought it up. But if we jump the gun and confront them now, we might end up spoiling the fun forever."

"Eh? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, they might not be wholly comfortable with their relationship yet…."

"Comfortable?-!" Momoshiro cried. "You should have seen them, Fuji-senpai! I'd say they're comfortable enough with each other!"

"You only stopped walking home with Echizen for a little over a week, is that right, Momo?"

"Well, yeah…."

"Then that means they've probably only begun dating for that amount of time. Given that, do you really think their relationship would be strong enough to hold up to other people's scrutiny? And if we were to give them a hard time about it, there's no way we could guess how they'd react. They may call it off."

Momoshiro pursed his lips skeptically. "But it's not like we don't _approve_ of them dating. We just wanna have some fun with it."

"Exactly, exactly," Eiji chorused.

"Yes, but at the same time, you know how Tezuka is, he's such a private person by nature. Not to mention the fact that as captain, he probably thinks he has to maintain a certain strict image. If we were to cause a big fuss about this, he may worry that it would undermine his authority as our leader. With the Regionals coming up, it's not a distraction he, or we, could afford."

Both Eiji and Momoshiro visibly deflated at Fuji's words. "Hai, hai, I agree with Fuji." Oishi concurred but shrank back in his seat in the next instant at the scathing narrowed-eye look his tennis partner shot him.

"But, but, Fuji, if you put it that way, we'll never be able to say anything!" Kikumaru argued. "After the Regionals there's gonna be the Nationals! That's like, a long time! You're telling us to keep this a secret for that long?-! I don't think I can do it, Fuji!"

Fuji gave his friend's words some consideration. "How about this? How about we wait just a bit more? I'll continue to watch them a little longer, see how they are around each other. When they come to a point where they're so comfortable with one another that it wouldn't matter what others say or think, then we'll know it's time to confront them."

Eiji's pout did not lessen. "That's so vague! How will we know when that time comes? I didn't even notice there was anything weird going on between them until today!"

"But _I_ will know. And I will tell you." Seeing that the other boy was still unconvinced, Fuji then asked, "You trust me, don't you, Eiji?"

"Well, yeah, of course I do."

"Then trust me when I say I know Tezuka. I'll know when the time is right to bring this up in front of them."

"Can't you at least attach a date to it, Fuji-senpai?" Momo inquired, greatly distressed.

"Yeah, can't we say, like in two or three weeks? Then they would've been dating for close to a month and that should be plenty of time for anybody to get comfortable with each other," Eiji added.

After another contemplative pause, Fuji replied, "I guess that's fair. But if I sense anything amiss, can we promise to wait a little longer, if necessary?"

Obviously pained by that condition, Eiji hesitated. Though he firmly believed that Fuji was over-reacting, he also respected the tensai, not to mention Tezuka. Therefore, out of consideration for both of his friends more than anything else, he finally, with great reluctance, nodded his consent. Kaidoh, Kawamura, and Oishi followed suit, and Fuji knew he had nothing to worry about when it came to these three. Kaidoh was reliably tight-lipped since he was not the gossip-mongering type, while Kawamura and Oishi were already on his side before he even made his proposal. When Fuji turned to look at Inui and Momoshiro, the two of them also agreed after a minor hesitation. For Inui, it actually made no difference to him whether they confronted the couple or not, that was actually more of an added bonus for amusement purposes. Since his focus had always been on what information he could obtain, he doubted he would get much out of the freshman or Tezuka if they were to ask them in such a direct manner. No, there were more subtle ways of gathering research, and his mind was already spinning the various options for doing so.

Momoshiro, on the other hand, was visibly disappointed and he couldn't help giving voice to his feelings. "Two to three weeks? That's gonna be a hard wait!" he complained.

"When'd you become such a whiny bitch, you peach shit?" Kaidoh suddenly snapped.

The other boy immediately shot to his feet and brandished his fist at his teammate. "What the hell did you say, you wimpy snake?"

Kaidoh stood up as well and Oishi groaned in misery. "I said when'd you become such a whiny bitch? You heard what our senpai said! We're gonna SHUT UP about what you saw today until he says so. Tezuka's our captain, show some damned respect, BASTARD."

"WHO SAID I WASN'T GONNA LISTEN TO WHAT THE SENPAI SAID?-! DID YOU HEAR ME SAY THAT? WHY DON'T YOU WASH THE EARWAX FROM YOUR DAMN EARS BEFORE SPEAKING NEXT TIME?-!" By now, several of the patrons in the restaurant were looking their way in concern.

"Guys—"Kawamura started beseechingly.

"Why don't you do us a favor and stick a fucking sock in your mouth, asshole?" Kaidoh growled.

Momoshiro was practically ready to spit fire. "You are ASKING for it, you piece of crap! WHERE'S MY RACKET? I'm gonna beat you TO A BLOODY PULP with my damn racket!"

"BUUURN-ING! GRRRREATO!" Kawamura's voice all of a sudden overtook the two bickering second-years'. Both Kaidoh and Momoshiro fell silent immediately, blinking in surprise as they wondered at the same time who handed the senior his racket, allowing his alter ego to come forth. "CALM DOWN, BABY! OR I'LL GIVE YOU A TASTE OF MY BURNING WRATH!"

"Taka-san, thank you, now can I have that racket back?" Oishi said as he pulled the item in question from the other boy's hand. His hands now empty, Kawamura reverted back to his shy self once again and sat back down with an embarrassed look on his face. Oishi then glared at the two quarreling boys and commanded, "You two, for the last time, calm. Down. We're going to get thrown out of this place soon if you don't. Look!"

The senior pointed in the direction of the restaurant manager, who was currently heading for their table with a very concerned look on his face. With corresponding grunts of annoyance, the two rivals finally sat down, though they continued to glare murderously at one another from their seats. Waving at the manager, Oishi flashed a large, reassuring grin, hoping that would be enough to convince the man. The manager hesitated uncertainly for a minute, before eventually turning back to the counter. Sighing, Oishi leaned back against his seat and shook his head at the childishness of his two teammates. If there ever came a day when Kaidoh and Momoshiro got over this intense yet unwarranted rivalry they felt for one another, he would have to get that day declared as a national holiday. The strange thing was, there were times when the two of them would get along just fine, as if they had forgotten they were supposed to hate one another. Usually, those moments would occur when they were on the tennis court. It wouldn't last of course; inevitably, some minor button would be triggered and they would be at it again, like a pair of rabid dogs. It was both annoying and mystifying.

After another beat, Fuji pretended as if nothing happened and continued. "We all agree to wait and see, then? I know this is a lot to ask, but please be careful when you're around the two of them. We have to act normal, so they don't know we know anything. I know this is a very tall order, but for the sake of Tezuka and the Nationals, let's try our best?"

Although his cheerful smile was greeted by nods that varied in the degrees of enthusiasm, Fuji was reassured.

After a short silence, Kawamura took a deep breath and shook his head. "Wow, Tezuka and Echizen. It still boggles my mind."

"Yeah, even though I saw it with my own eyes, it's still pretty hard to accept. I mean, they're both so…so…." Momoshiro trailed off, failing to come up with the right word.

"Serious?" Eiji offered.

"Unreadable?" This from Kaidoh.

"Quiet?" Oishi proposed.

"Low-key?" suggested Kawamura.

"Anti-social?" This from Eiji again.

"Boring." Momo finally decided. "I never would've guessed there was this other side to them. I mean, I've hung out with Echizen. He's like a wall."

"Yeah, Tezuka is sort of like that too," Kikumaru observed. "They don't talk much."

"Maybe that's why they got together in the first place," Fuji suggested. "Because they're so much alike."

"Yeah, but doesn't the saying go that opposites attract while like usually repels?" Momo contended.

"It depends. Some people could be so much alike that they end up fitting together perfectly. A perfect match."

At Fuji's words, they fell quiet again, each of them chewing on their individual thoughts. They stayed for another half hour to finish their desserts, chatting about non-consequential topics for the rest of the time. On their way, Momoshiro suddenly stopped in the doorway, remembering something.

_Shimatta! That means I have to apologize to her! _

He gave his forehead a loud smack, startling his teammates, as he groaned miserably, "On my knees too!"

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The next day, during morning practice, the seven Seigaku regulars made a concentrated effort to behave as normal as possible around Tezuka and Echizen. Unfortunately, Inui and Fuji were the only ones who fully succeeded at it.

For the rest of them, it was definitely a trying task, though in a different way for each individual. For Kaidoh, the source of his difficulty was in even meeting his captain's eyes, and when Tezuka addressed him directly, he would turn red while barely managing to stammer out an audible response. Kawamura also developed a blushing problem, though the trigger was the sight of the senior and freshman standing anywhere near each other. For Momo, the difficulty stemmed from his inability to _stop_ staring at the two people in question. He still couldn't detect the difference in behavior that Fuji and Inui were talking about, so his eyes refused to give up until he did. To distract himself, he volunteered to run laps. Kaidoh and Kawamura soon joined him for the same reason.

But nobody found it more difficult to comply with Fuji's request than Eiji did. His problem was further compounded by his own imagination. He perceived every single look or simple exchange between Tezuka and Echizen as their declaration of love for one another. He would react by making strange, excited squeaking noises or manic gestures at his fellow regulars to catch their attention. Of course, Tezuka eventually noticed his bizarre behavior. Without understanding the cause behind it, he decided to put a stop to it by—what else—making him run around the courts. And even though Oishi also had problems of his own, he resolved to stick by Eiji's side to keep an eye on his tennis partner; therefore, when Eiji ran laps, so did Oishi.

When Tezuka saw that more than half of his Regular members were running laps, he was baffled, especially since, with the exception of Kikumaru, they had started the running on their own. After much thought, he mistakenly assumed that they were trying to sharpen their focus by running around the courts. Buoyed by their sense of self-motivation, he therefore decided to have the entire team follow suit, promptly ordering everyone to do 50 laps. The culprits for this unfortunate turn of events were of course horrified, as they had only intended to do a few laps.

This same pattern of activity repeated itself during the next practice, and the next, and the next, until finally, out of a sheer dread for running, the five Regulars decided that for the sake of their own well-being, not to mention those of their teammates, they would definitely strive to _quickly _succeed in maintaining an ignorant and completely normal façade in front of their captain and the freshman.

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**Author's Note:** Ryotaro Okiayu fans HAVE to know where I got the title of this vignette from. That's also one of my all-time favorite animes, featuring my all-time favorite male character, Yuki Eiri. sigh Yuuuuuuki! Okay, anyway, hope you enjoyed! Working on another one in my mind as I'm typing this.


	6. Focus: Don't Disturb the Monkeys On Disp...

**Rating**: PG-13 (And I didn't forget my story was originally rated R)

**Timeline: **Between chapters two and three, shortly following Focus: Big News.

**Focus: Do Not Disturb the Monkeys on Display**

"Oishi, Oishi, let's follow them!"

Eiji was pumping his fists up and down in excitement, his eyes shining with mischief. Oishi raised his eyebrows quizzically as he continued chugging from his water bottle. They had just completed another torturous set of laps and were currently leaning against the fence at the back of the courts, resting. Despite the strenuous exercise everyone just went through, Tezuka had already assigned some of the Regulars to start singles practice matches; by some stroke of luck, the doubles partners were spared. Before them, Echizen and Momoshiro were starting their match while in the next two courts, Fuji was playing against Kawamura while Kaidoh was pitted against Inui. Tezuka and Coach Ryuzaki stood at the other end of the courts, watching over everyone.

Recapping his bottle, Oishi wiped his mouth on his sleeve and then asked, "Follow who?"

"Tezuka and Ochibi!"

"Hah? Why—oh. No! Forget it, Eiji."

"Why not? Oishi, come on! You can't tell me you're not curious."

"About what? So they're…dating, so what? I-I don't care."

Eiji narrowed his eyes skeptically at his friend. "Liar. Look at you, your face gets all red just talking about it. And you stare at them as much as I do."

Oishi started. "Do you think they noticed?" he asked in a hushed voice, completely forgetting to deny he had been doing anything of the sort.

"I don't know. We can't tell anything with them, can we? But Oishi, look look look, aren't they cute? Look, Tezuka's watching Ochibi again!"

"No he's not, and ssssh! Not too loud!"

Eiji dropped his voice to a conspiratory whisper. "So? What do you think? After practice today? Don't you wanna see how they are around each other when no one's looking? Especially Tezuka? Isn't it killing you that there's this whole other side of him that we didn't even know existed?"

Oishi chewed on his lower lip worryingly. He was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to honor Tezuka's privacy; on the other, what Eiji said was true: he was practically overcome with curiosity about how Tezuka and Echizen were when they were on a date. He had known Tezuka since the first day of their first year in middle school and become friends with him after they joined the Tennis club. Even at the time, Tezuka exuded an air of confidence and strength which caused Oishi to become instantly drawn to him. Oishi had always respected and admired the other boy. However, because of Tezuka's solemn visage and mannerisms, even Oishi sometimes forgot that there was still a teenage boy underneath. His friend almost seemed like a 30 year old man trapped in the body of a 15 year old. Adding to that imagery was Tezuka's habitual solitude, which likened him to a lone wolf. Therefore, Oishi had naturally assumed that Tezuka would never take part in a frivolous social custom such as _dating_, that the other boy would be somehow _beyond_ that. In truth, he had always figured his friend would probably marry as a result of an arrangement by his grandparents or relatives. This notion was further fueled by the fact that he had never seen Tezuka express even a smidgen of interest in anyone—be it girl or boy—even though he had always had a fair share of admirers (who were also not afraid of being vocal about their feelings). But now, to be confronted with the reality of not only was Tezuka interested in someone, but he was already _dating_ that someone, who so happens to be_ Echizen Ryoma_…it was as if someone had suddenly dealt him three quick punches, leaving him dizzy and breathless. To say that he was blind-sided would be a gross understatement. So even though they were in the midst of what would probably be one of the most important journeys of their young lives, he found himself incapable of thinking of anything else in the past couple of days. As hard as he tried to stop it, his traitorous brain simply refused to listen, instead continuously conjuring up images of the senior and freshman together. Not that any of the imagery was of the graphic nature, but the mere fact that he was thinking about it at all was already disturbing. As the vice captain of the team and Tezuka's friend, he felt rather ashamed of this indiscretion.

"Oiiishi! What're you thinking about? Snap out of it!" Eiji was saying as he elbowed him.

Oishi frowned and looked at Tezuka quickly as he pointed out, "But…we promised Fuji we wouldn't bother them…."

"We aren't gonna _bother_ them. If they don't know we're there, how could we be bothering them, nyah?"

"They might see us…."

"They won't if we're extra careful! And so what if they see us? We could always pretend we bumped into them by accident. They don't know we know, remember?"

Frowning, Oishi hesitated. He didn't want to voice his doubts about Eiji's ability to keep calm in emergency situations and he was almost certain that if they were indeed discovered by the couple, his friend's reaction would most definitely be the thing to give them away.

Encouraged by the lack of a negative answer, Eiji started tugging on Oishi's sleeve as he bounced up and down enthusiastically on the balls of his feet. "Come on, Oishi, whaddaya say? Onegai onegai?" When a reply still wasn't forthcoming, the boy added, "You know I can't do it alone; I need you there. Plus, it won't be fun otherwise." To emphasize the effect, Kikumaru flashed twinkling, saucer-sized eyes at his friend.

Oishi was of course powerless under such an onslaught of adorable sincerity. He still had misgivings about the whole thing, but when Eiji turned on the charm like that, he could never say no. With a resigned sigh, he relented with a nod.

"Yahoo!" Eiji's happy whooping caused several of his team members to glance curiously in his direction. In response, he flashed them a wide toothy grin while cheerfully holding up his fingers in a victory sign. That only resulted in conjuring confused expressions on their faces.

"But," Oishi said in a warning tone, "if there's even the _slightest_ indication that we're gonna be discovered, we abort the whole operation, got it?"

"Got it got it. Oishi, this is gonna be so fuuun!"

"Eiji-senpai, do you mind? We're playing here." Disturbed by the ruckus, Echizen had stopped in the middle of his match and now stood scowling at the senior.

Eiji answered easily with a "Hai hai gomen gomen". Then, turning back to Oishi, he cackled softly and said, "Cocky little brat. Oh yeah, this is _definitely_ gonna be _tons_ of fun."

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After practice, at Eiji's urging, the two doubles partners finished their showers and changed back into their school uniforms in record time so that they could rush over to the library before Echizen. Eiji wanted to stake out a prime spot where they could remain hidden but still have a view of the most of the room so that when the couple appeared, they would be able to see them immediately. For a while, Kikumaru was torn between the history section and the reference section; he kept on dragging Oishi back and forth between the two until, exasperated, the other boy groused, "Eiji, just decide, will you? The librarian's giving us funny looks already; do you want us to get kicked out?"

Before the other senior had a chance to reply, Echizen walked through the front door, catching both of them by surprise. For an instant, they were standing in the clear line of vision of the freshman but then Oishi immediately tugged his friend behind the nearest shelf.

"There he is, Oishi!" Eiji exclaimed in a fierce whisper as he grabbed hold of Oishi's arm.

Wincing, the other boy loosened the painful grasp his friend had on him and then whispered back, "Yeah, yeah, it's just Echizen. Sheesh, calm down."

"Oh, right." Eiji started giggling into his hand. "This is so exciting!"

"Just, wait until something actually happens before you blow a blood vessel."

Eiji continued twittering happily as they both watched Echizen head for one of the tables and sit down. The freshman pulled his books and his mp3 player from his bag, and after putting on the earphones and adjusting his player, immediately started doing his homework. The ease of his actions seemed to imply that this was all routine to him. "This must be how he waits for Tezuka every day," Oishi observed absently.

"Indeed. Usually, Tezuka doesn't arrive until about an hour later."

The two boys started violently at the sound of the voice so close behind them and spun around to come face to face with Inui. With eyes wide, they simultaneously opened their mouths to call out his name, but the taller boy immediately put a finger to his lips to silence them.

"What are you doing here, Inui?-!" Oishi whispered the demand. Looking behind Inui, Oishi was further astonished to see two of his other teammates standing there. "Kaidoh! Fuji! You two! You're here as well?-!" Kaidoh, red-faced, nodded once in acknowledgement while Fuji just smiled cheerfully and greeted him with a small wave.

"The same reason why you two are here," Inui said in answer to Oishi's question. "To watch them."

"But…but…how did you…?" Oishi sputtered.

"I didn't expect you to be here, Oishi."

"The same goes for you, Inui!" The vice captain eyed the other boy suspiciously. "When did you start spying them?"

"Mmm, since the day after Momoshiro told us."

At that, Eiji gasped indignantly and pointed an accusing finger at his teammate. "Since…?-! Cheater! You've been spying on them all this time and you didn't _tell _us?-!"

Inui shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't think you'd be interested."

"Not…are you _insane_?-! Of _course_ we'd be interested!"

"There was also the issue of what we promised Fuji. I didn't know if this would qualify as bothering Tezuka and Echizen so I thought it best to keep it to myself."

"What about Fuji and Kaidoh, huh?"

"They just came today."

"So you're telling me you've just been spying on them, all alone, taking down your notes the whole time?"

Pushing his glasses up on his nose, Inui replied, "Actually I would rather not call it spying since I consider it as research, but yes, it's as you say."

"You…." Failing to come up with a proper response to such shameless honesty, Eiji decided to direct his ire at the other two. "You, Fuji! What are _you_ doing here? This is pretty hypocritical of you, isn't it?-!"

Holding up a hand as a pacifying gesture, Fuji explained, "Sorry, Eiji. I couldn't resist. I figured if I just watched in secret without disturbing them, then I would still be honoring our pledge of secrecy."

"That's not the point! The point is…." Before Eiji could finish, however, Inui interrupted him with, "May I suggest we relocate ourselves to my usual spot? It's more ideally situated and further away from the librarian's eyes and ears."

Inui led them down the other end of the shelves and then moved forward until they were behind the shelf directly in front of where Echizen was sitting. When Oishi hesitated at their proximity to their target, Inui explained that even though they were closer to him, Echizen wouldn't be able to see them since he was sitting with his back facing the shelves, and if he were to turn around, for whatever reason, there was still a slim chance for him to discover them since they would be mostly hidden behind the books. Since he kept his earphones on almost the entire time, the freshman wouldn't be able to hear them either. Another added bonus of their location was that since they were now at the opposite side of the room from the librarian, they would also be out of her earshot. "Statistically speaking, there is no better spot," Inui finished with.

Once they were settled, Eiji picked up his rant from where he left off. "As I was saying, the point is, Fuji, how come you came here by yourself without even asking us to join you? If I hadn't been smart enough to think of following them, would you have ever asked me?"

"I guess not," his friend answered truthfully, though with a sincerely apologetic smile. "Like Inui, I thought it better to just follow them on my own. It reduces the chances of being discovered, don't you think?"

"But you brought Kaidoh along!"

"Actually, I invited Kaidoh," Inui clarified. "He's been distracted this whole thing so I thought if I help take away some of the mystery he might be able to concentrate again."

Embarrassed by the senior's words, Kaidoh hissed and looked away, his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.

Inui continued, "We bumped into Fuji on our way here; we were both quite surprised to see him too. We were further surprised when we saw the two of you jumping back and forth between the shelves." He paused briefly. "May I ask what you were doing?"

"Nevermind that," Eiji said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "What you should be doing now is give us a full report of what's been going on since you started spying on them. What have we missed?"

"Ah, sure." Adjusting his glasses again, Inui pulled out his notebook and rifled through it until he arrived at the appropriate pages. "'Day one: 5:36 pm: I arrive at the library. Of the three previously examined locations, I decide on location D, which has only 30 chance of discovery. The philosophy books are located here. Note: remember to look up book on history of…' Oh, pardon, that's irrelevant. Ahem. 5:52 pm: Echizen arrives. To my surprise, he seats himself at the desk right in front of my hiding place. This is indeed the prime selection, however, note: re-adjust the probability of discovery now that Echizen's location is known. Echizen opens his book bag and removes first his math book, then his assignment notebooks for English, Literature, and Composition. He removes his iPod and puts on his earphones. He is most likely listening to alternative American music, his music of choice. He starts to do his homework. It would appear that he completes his homework in the order by which he removes them from his bag. 6:10 pm: Echizen continues to do his homework. He has not looked up once. 6:31 pm: Tezuka arrives. Echizen has just started on his Literature assignment. Since Echizen's back is facing me, I cannot see his reaction to Tezuka's approach. Tezuka is smiling as he comes over to where Echizen is. When he is right in front of Echizen, Echizen looks up. I do not believe they speak to each other. Echizen only stands and starts putting everything back into his bag. Tezuka stands watching. I have crouched down low behind the shelves just in case. They leave together, Tezuka in the lead at first, Echizen catches up to walk beside him. I wait until they are out the door before following them. I make sure they leave the school first so I watch from the window. It takes them 1:38 minuets to leave the school grounds. They turn left at the exit. I follow…."

"Eto, Inui, can you just…skip the details?" Oishi asked politely as he eyed Eiji worriedly. His tennis partner looked like he was on the verge of grabbing Inui's notebook to read it himself. "Just give us the major points?"

"Oh. Alright." Inui looked down the rest of the page in silence for a moment before reading out loud, "6:44 pm: they arrive at McDonald's. 7:32 pm: they arrive at the park. 7:36: they are kissing."

"Chotto chotto chotto!" Both Kaidoh and Oishi frantically shushed Kikumaru while stealing furtive glances around them. Lowering his voice once again, Eiji commanded, "Don't skip _that_ far ahead! I want to hear _some_ of the details."

Puzzled, Inui furrowed the bridge of his nose and questioned, "Which ones in particular?"

"Here, just give me your notebook."

Inui handed it over to Eiji wordlessly. As he read, Fuji commented, "So after they meet here, they go to eat and then the park? It's been the same as Momoshiro said?"

"Ah. The only variation is in the time, of course, and the place they choose to eat at," Inui responded with a curt nod. "Since I've been following them, they've gone to McDonald's twice. I am guessing that is their place of choice."

Eiji expelled a breath in frustration. "Hoi, Inui, is that all there is here? You didn't even write down what they talked about."

Inui shook his head. "I was never close enough to hear. I wanted to be very careful so I always maintained my distance."

"Well did they hold hands at least? Did you see anything like that?"

"No. Actually, there was almost a complete lack of physical contact other than when they were kissing on the park bench. Even then, it was a bit…strange."

"What do you mean, senpai?" Kaidoh asked.

Pursing his lips, Inui paused in thought briefly. "How should I put this…Kaidoh, have you ever watched people when they're kissing?"

Coloring slightly, the viper grumbled, "O-of course not. What's that got to do with anything?"

"It would be easier for me to explain if you have. It's alright, what I mean is, when most couples kiss, especially when they're doing it mouth to mouth, they are usually embracing at the same time. With Tezuka and Echizen, however, there was hardly any physical contact. Only their lips were in contact with each other."

Kaidoh, Eiji, and Oishi's eyes all glazed over as they automatically began imagining what Inui had just described. "You mentioned 'hardly', so there was at least a small degree of physical contact?" Fuji asked.

"It was very minimal. I would not even call it as contact, more like accidental passing touches. For the most part, Tezuka's hands would be either on his lap or on the bench. The same goes for Echizen."

"That doesn't sound very cute," Eiji commented ruefully.

Inui could only shrug. "That's how it was."

"How about their kissing? Were they just kissing or were they actually French-kissing?" was Fuji's next question.

Oishi's eyes bulged at his friend's bluntness and his mouth opened to protest but was stopped short by Inui's reply. "As far as they were just kissing. "

Eiji scratched his head, a genuinely perplexed expression coming over his features. "Fuji, what's 'French-kissing'?"

The four boys turned as one to stare at him. Oishi, Kaidoh and Inui had looks of varying degrees of astonishment while Fuji simply looked amused. _Geez, how could he not know what that is? _Oishi groaned inwardly. _Even _I_ know what that is_.

When it didn't look like anyone was going to volunteer an answer, Fuji complied with, "It's kissing with tongue."

"Eh? How do you do that?"

"You really _don't_ know that? I'm sorry, senpai, but what is _wrong_ with you?" Kaidoh asked rather rudely. So bewildered was he by the senior's level of ignorance, that he actually forgot his place as a lower-classman.

Naturally Eiji was immediately offended by Kaidoh's tone so he retorted loudly with, "Whaaat?-! I don't know what that is! So what?"

Frantic shushes greeted his outburst. They all stopped to check if Echizen noticed anything; thankfully, he was still doing his homework with his head down. Decreasing his volume but not the intensity of his irritation, Eiji went on to say, "And how come _you_ know, Kaidoh? Oh-ho, so have _you_ tried it before? So who did you perform this French-kiss on? And how many did you French-kiss?"

Kaidoh's face flooded crimson as he stammered out, "N-n-n-o one!"

"Although, the fact that Kaidoh knows what it is does not necessarily imply that he has tried it. It is rather common knowledge, after all, at least amongst most people our age. Kikumaru, I'm sorry to say, your argument is flawed," Inui pointed out.

With a stubborn pout, Eiji shot back with, "Well how should _I_ know it's supposed to be common knowledge?-! Oishi! Tell me! What is it?"

Oishi started. He could almost feel his forehead break out in a cold sweat under Eiji's intense—though rather angry—gaze. Completely flustered, he began flailing about for a response but was rescued by Fuji who leaned forward towards Eiji and asked, "Would you like me to give you a demonstration instead, Eiji?"

Kaidoh's shocked utterance of "Fuji-senpai!" was practically drowned out by Oishi's equally appalled cry of, "Fuji!"

Eiji only looked confused. "You're going to demonstrate how to French-kiss? How're you gonna do that?"

"Eiji!" Oishi was truly sweating now. He could not believe what he was hearing.

Fuji shrugged and answered casually, "Easy. I'll just demonstrate on you."

Oishi's reaction was instantaneous. "Fuji! You are _not_ going to do that."

"Wait, you said it's kissing with tongue so, don't tell me you're going to like me or something. That sounds kinda gross. I don't think I want that, Fuji," Eiji was saying presently, completely oblivious to the impact his conversation was having.

Covering his face with his hand, Oishi groaned and shook his head. He was in hell. Kaidoh could only watch the proceedings with bulging eyes and heated cheeks while Inui had a thoroughly interested look on his face.

Chuckling softly, the tensai finally took pity on Oishi's obvious distress. Waving his hand dismissively, he then moved back to lean against the shelves again and said, "I'm just joking, Eiji. Maybe you can ask your doubles partner here to show you one day instead."

Turning an even deeper shade of red than Kaidoh, Oishi could only sputter in response.

Fuji laughed. "Joking joking. Sorry Oishi, I couldn't resist."

Since he was ignorant of the underlying meaning to their exchange, Eiji could only surmise that they were sharing some secret joke about French-kissing which he was not privy to since he didn't know what that thing involved. With an annoyed expression, he folded his arms across his chest and pursed his lips sourly as he tossed both Oishi and Fuji a dirty look.

Oishi's dramatic reaction did not escape unnoticed by Inui, however. It set off a spark of suspicion in his head so Inui made a mental note to watch the two tennis partners more carefully from now on. Outwardly, he said to Eiji, "If you'd like, I could bring you a picture of people French-kissing tomorrow."

"Ooh, you have a picture of it? Yeah, bring it in!"

"Inui, that is FINE," Oishi bit out with clenched teeth. "Eiji, it doesn't matter. You'll…figure it out one day."

"But I want to know _now_. What's the big deal? You know, right, Oishi?"

"No! I mean, yes but—"

"Then why can't you just tell me! It's not like I'm a child! Mou!"

"Oh for crying out loud, Eiji, just…so if two people are kissing, sometimes, one, or both of them might stick out their tongue…God, why the hell am I talking about this? Stop talking. All of you. Not another word, Eiji."

Fuji and Inui chuckled at their friend's obvious state of extreme discomfort. Eiji frowned. Though he was still highly curious, he refrained from saying anything more upon seeing the inexplicably dark look on Oishi's face. He decided he could just ask Inui or Fuji later on about it, when Oishi wasn't around.

Tranquility restored, the five Regulars turned to watch Echizen again. Minutes later, Eiji breached the silence by whispering, "Inui, about how long before Tezuka gets here again?"

"Mmm, first day it took him 39 minutes; second day 53 minutes; yesterday 32 minutes. Obviously, the length of time varies within an hour."

"What's taking him so long?"

"He's probably meeting with Ryuzaki-sensei."

"Oh." After a moment, Eiji sighed loudly.

Sensing his friend's impatience, Oishi reminded him, "Eiji, it's only been 15 minutes."

"Twenty-one minutes…exactly."

"Any which way, we might be here for a while so just take it easy."

"I know, but I just want to know how long exactly."

"Inui said it varies within an hour, at least we know it'll probably be less than an hour."

"Yeah, but my butt already hurts from sitting on the floor and I think my legs have fallen asleep."

Rolling his eyes, Oishi pointed out, "_You_ wanted to do this."

"I know! I didn't say I was gonna give up. But watching Ochibi do homework _is_ kinda boring."

"What did you expect?"

"I dunno. I didn't think we'd have to wait this long."

"It's only been…."

"Yeah, I know, twenty-one minutes. But my butt and legs still hurt."

"Stand up then."

"But I'm so tired from practice."

"For God's sake, Eiji--"

Chuckling, Fuji interjected with, "You two sound like an old married couple."

Oishi shot the tensai a disapproving look while Eiji groused, "Oishi treats me like a child."

"I wouldn't have to do that if you didn't act like one," Oishi muttered, but his tone was a bit more mild as he didn't want to upset his friend.

Eiji took another deep breath as he slumped back against one of the bookshelves. "I just wish Tezuka would get here soon. Oishi, wake me when you see him."

Without another word, the third-year quickly dozed off. Kaidoh joined him a few minutes later. Keeping their voices quiet, the three remaining seniors continued chatting—about school, tennis, and movies—for the next half hour until the person they were waiting for finally appeared. Fuji was the first to spot Tezuka. He signaled to Oishi and Inui with a slight upward tilt of his head. Oishi immediately began to nudge Eiji to wake him. At first the other boy just grumbled without opening his eyes, but when his mind finally registered what Oishi was urgently whispering in his ear, he shot up and leaned forward in one motion to look. In his haste, he almost dislodged one of the books. His mouth fell open in horror as he reached out to catch the book. Luckily, he succeeded, his fingers clasping on to the spine. Considering the short distance they were from their two targets, the sound of the falling book would've definitely been noticeable. Oishi shook his head reproachfully at his friend but then had to smile grudgingly at the almost adorably embarrassed look on Kikumaru's face.

The five of them peered through the shelves to watch as Tezuka approached Echizen with warm smile in greeting. "He's smiling!" Eiji breathed in wonder. Oishi pressed his finger to his lips. Getting up, the freshman instantly began packing his stuff away back into his bag as the young captain stood waiting. It was just as Inui described in his notes. When the two boys started to head out of the library, Eiji, Oishi, and Kaidoh immediately jumped up to follow but was stalled by Inui, who held up his hand while shaking his head. "Too close," he explained in a very low voice, "Wait until they leave completely. Since there's so many of us, we better play it safe and follow them at a distance."

"'At a distance?-!' How far are you talking about?" Eiji whined fretfully. "Whatever, Inuuui, let's go, let's go, we're gonna lose them! Look, they've already left the library!"

"Don't worry, they've been heading in the same direction for the past three days. I am pretty confident that they will not stray from their established routine. It won't be that difficult to catch up. In fact, we could probably head out now. Let's go."

They quickly and quietly hurried out of the library to follow Tezuka and Echizen, though not before Inui stopped them so that he could check the position of their targets before they actually left the building. Once outside, they stalked their prey with great stealth, listening to Inui's instructions the whole way. He would stop them and make them hide behind a wall or a tree or some other barrier and wait until Tezuka and Echizen had gotten about 20 feet ahead of them before motioning for them to continue. It was a painstaking way of following the couple, but no one was complaining, as the sight of the senior and freshman together was enough of a reward.

In fact, at first, the mere sight of Tezuka and Echizen walking side-by-side was enough to make Eiji giddy with excitement. "Look at them! Look at them! They're…they're…_walking together!_" he exclaimed while tugging insistently on Oishi's sleeve.

"Yes, yes, I can see that" was his friend's reply, though Oishi could hardly blame the other boy for over-reacting. Even his own heart had started racing a little at the sight.

"Although," Eiji continued, his head cocking to one side, "Their height difference makes them look kinda funny." He snickered. "Kinda like a father walking with his son."

Fuji chuckled as well. "Or a man with a woman," he suggested mischievously, drawing out more snickers from the others.

Kaidoh nodded. "That makes sense since Tezuka-buchou is definitely the man in the relationship," he reasoned with certainty.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Fuji mused as he looked skyward thoughtfully and placed a finger on his chin. "Echizen could easily be the driver of the relationship."

Kaidoh's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "I don't believe it. The captain _has_ to be the boss. No way would he let that brat order him around."

Fuji's lips remained stretched in an enigmatic smile as he shrugged in response.

"They don't seem to act like a couple, though," was Kikumaru's next comment, which was said with a small hint of dissatisfaction.

"Yeah, they don't. It's just like Inui said, there's no physical contact at all." Oishi could hear the disappointment in his own voice and upon catching himself, tried to dispel the notion by reasoning, "Well, we could hardly expect them to be skipping down the street holding hands."

"No, that would be asking for too much," Eiji agreed. "But…'taku, couldn't they at least do _something_? They're barely even looking at each other. Are they even _speaking_ to each other?"

"I think I saw Tezuka-buchou's mouth moving when he turned his head," Kaidoh offered dubiously.

"Oh goody," was the sarcastic response.

"They are kinda far away."

"Yeah, they are. Hey Inui, can we get _any_ closer? I mean, this is kind of overdoing it, isn't it? They're like the size of ants!"

"We'll be able to see them better when they go to McDonald's. The location I chose for watching them provides a closer view."

"That's where they're going?" Oishi asked.

"It would seem so, the same as yesterday."

"It really must be Echizen's favorite place. On his own, Tezuka almost never eats fast-food," Fuji observed.

"Yes. Momoshiro did mention he and Echizen would go to McDonald's often after practice."

"That's not very healthy, all that oily, fried food," Oishi said with a slight grimace in distaste.

Eiji grinned. "His face is gonna explode with pimples one day. I always get one after I eat fried crap like that. Lucky for me, it's usually just in one spot."

Kaidoh's eyes widened and he asked curiously, "So is that what that bandage is for, senpai?" It was a question he had been dying to ask ever since the first day he met the senior, but he never found the right opportunity to do so until now.

"Yup. I don't want to show this hideous thing to the world."

"Don't you think you attract more attention with it? It's kind of…obvious."

The other boy shrugged. "Better a bandage than a red pusey lump of flesh."

Kaidoh made a face in disgust, a look which was mirrored by Oishi.

"Stop," Inui said all of a sudden. They were leaning against the side of a corner thrift store where a short distance ahead, Tezuka and Echizen were crossing the street to McDonald's. "We stay here."

"Here?" Eiji looked around. "Can't we duck into a shop or something?"

"No, this is the best vantage point without being seen. The window of McDonald's provides a view of the street which starts from the door of this store to the second window panel of the bookstore on the next block. This is the only place where we will be out of their eyesight while still having them in full view."

"But, but we're so…exposed here. And what if they don't sit by the window? If they sat further in, we won't be able to see them at all."

"Based on my calculations from previous experiences, the probability of them choosing a window seat is 98. Watching them from here provides us with the lowest probability of discovery. See?"

Sure enough, the couple chose a table that was right by the window. They were already unloading their bags. "You sure they won't see us?" Oishi shifted uncomfortably.

"Positive. I've examined the range of sight from every table and seat in there."

Oishi didn't know what to be impressed by more: the apparent abundance of effort Inui invested for what was mostly a frivolous purpose or his ability to find free time to do all this despite the fact that he practiced just as strict a training regimen as the rest of them. Rather than commenting on either thought, however, he instead inquired, "Uh, didn't anyone ask you what the heck you were doing?"

"Yes, but they were quite understanding after I told them it was for a Statistics research project. To be honest, I had hoped that someone would question me more extensively since I did have a hypothetical project all prepared. It would've been interesting to see how it would've held up to scrutiny."

"You're pretty amazing sometimes, Inui," Fuji remarked sincerely.

Blushing slightly at the compliment, Inui shrugged one shoulder and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I just like to be prepared."

"Look, look!" Eiji pointed. "Tezuka's ordering for the both of them!"

Indeed, Tezuka was currently at the counter while Ryoma remained at their table, watching him. "So the captain pays for that brat too?" Kaidoh muttered grumpily.

They watched as Tezuka, after setting the food down, then went to dispense both of their sodas. Just as he was about to sit down after returning to the table, he stopped in mid-motion when Echizen said something to him, causing him to stand back up to return to the counter.

"Must have forgotten the ketchup or something," Oishi guessed.

Kaidoh, who had been gaping wide-mouthed the whole time at the unbelievable scene before him, finally spoke up. "Shit. That brat has the captain whipped!" When the other boys looked at him, he groused, "Doesn't he? And here I thought Tezuka-buchou would be the boss, but he's being ordered around by that damned kid!"

His teammates chuckled. "But if Tezuka is the male counterpart of the relationship, as you mentioned, it's only reasonable that he caters to Echizen, the female counterpart," Fuji suggested. However, the alertness of his eyes belied the lightness of his tone: it was obvious he was taking note of every single detail of the couple's interaction.

Eiji guffawed. "Fuji! Stop it! You're making me imagine Ochibi in a dress with bows in his hair! Now I'm never gonna erase that image from my head!"

Kaidoh shivered. "_That_ is very disturbing, senpai."

"I'd say it's more surreal than anything," Oishi breathed, though he was actually thinking of something else. "Tezuka and Echizen. I mean, I'm finally seeing it with my own eyes, but a part of me still can't believe it."

"Yeah, who would've thought Chibi-chan would be Tezuka's type?" Eiji mused.

"What type of person did you imagine for Tezuka?" Inui asked curiously.

Eiji blinked at that, caught up guard. He scrunched up his face in thought. After a moment, he shrugged and said, "Actually, I don't think I've ever put much thought into it, period. I mean, Tezuka's like daikon radish to me."

Only Fuji chuckled at that; the others gave Eiji a funny look. "Uh, daikon…radish?" Inui repeated.

"Yeah. You know, Tezuka's sturdy, good, kinda white, and I like him, but who would think of a daikon radish's social life? That would be weird."

Utterly baffled by his senpai's bizarre sense of logic, Kaidoh could only shake his head. "That's the weirdest analogy I've ever heard, Eiji-senpai."

"It is? How come?"

"Don't worry about it, Kaidoh," Oishi said with a wry smile, "That really only makes sense to Eiji and no one else on this planet."

"Mmm…." Tilting his head to one side, Fuji contended with, "I don't know, Oishi, it sort of makes sense to me."

Eiji stuck out his tongue playfully at his tennis partner. "See, Oishi, Fuji agrees with me."

"Fuji's just being nice." Oishi returned, though his tone indicated that his words were meant in good-humor.

They continued to watch as the two people inside the restaurant ate and conversed with each other. They were all surprised when they saw Tezuka's face break out in a wide smile at something the freshman said. "Wow," Eiji breathed in wonder, "it's like he's a completely different person around Ochibi. You two have known him the longest, have you ever seen him like this?" The question was directed at Fuji and Oishi.

Oishi responded in the negative. "I don't think I've seen Tezuka this relaxed with anyone. I guess he's more comfortable around Fuji and me since we've known him the longest, but this is a different side to him. It's…it's almost…."

"Like he finally got that stick up his butt removed," Eiji supplied. Kaidoh almost guffawed at that but stopped himself in time. He immediately felt ashamed for even wanting to laugh at such a disrespectful joke in the first place.

Frowning at his doubles partner, Oishi answered, "That definitely wasn't what I was thinking of. What I meant to say is, it's almost like he's changed somehow because of Echizen." He then paused for a beat and shook his head. "No, that might be a bit much. After all, they've barely started seeing each other."

"Although I do have to agree with you there," Inui said, "Even though he appears to be the same in front of us, there is a marked difference in him when he's with Echizen. I don't think it's wrong to say that Echizen is starting to affect him in some way. It may eventually carry over into his interactions with other people. Either way, it's a fascinating development to follow."

_Fascinating is one way to put it,_ Fuji thought as he continued to stare unblinkingly at Tezuka and Echizen. The sight of Tezuka so fully at ease with someone triggered a strong surge of emotion within him. Recognizing the feeling for what it was, he sighed inwardly, knowing that he would eventually have to deal with it. He had hoped that he was beyond such ugliness, but he was a human being after all. But for now, he set the emotion firmly aside, since this was he was neither in the proper place nor company to wrestle with something as burdensome as jealousy.

When the couple was nearing the end of their meal, Inui looked at his watch and after making some scribbles in his notebook, informed the others, "They will be heading for the park next."

Eiji perked up at that. "Oh, that's right! The main event's yet to come!"

Oishi started. "The park? We are NOT following them to the park. I do NOT want to see them…there," the vice captain stated adamantly.

His partner gave him a friendly smack on the arm. "Oishi! Don't be such a prude! What's the point of following them if we don't check them out when they're being all rabu rabu?"

In disgust, Oishi shot back, "I thought you said you didn't want to see them make out!"

"Yeah but I figured, might as well, right? Considering all the trouble we went through. Plus, Momo and Inui already saw them, that's like almost half of us already! Might as well even it out for all of us!"

"What the hell are you talking about? And, Eiji, it's-it's…_Tezuka, _for crying out loud! That's would be like, like, watching an older brother make out a younger brother."

The look Kaidoh gave Oishi was filled with incredulity. "That's a bit extreme, isn't it, senpai?"

Eiji snorted. "I'd say. Anyway, this is not like that at all. Oishi, stop exaggerating."

"I'm not—what, am I the only one who thinks this way? What about you, Fuji?

Instead of answering, Fuji turned to Inui and said, "Should we head over there now, Inui?"

"Fuji!" Oishi cried in surprise.

Fuji smiled. "I'm sorry, Oishi, while I understand what you're trying to say, I tend to agree with Eiji in that this is not the same."

"What if this was Yuuta we were following instead of Tezuka?"

At that, Fuji's smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then I would be even more insistent about watching their each and every move during each and every second they were together. I'd want to know what my brother was doing with this person so that I could gauge whether or not that person was taking advantage of him in some way."

Swallowing, Eiji said in a low voice, "Whoa, Fuji, you're a scary when it comes to your brother."

The friendly smile reappeared on the tensai's face. "That's why I said this is not the same. Of course, I respect Tezuka's privacy as his friend, but I am also curious for the very same reason. And since we will not be recounting today's events to anyone other than those who already know, namely Momoshiro and Taka-san, I think it should be alright."

"Exactly, no malicious intentions are meant, so our consciences may remain in the clear," Inui added. "We should head over there now so we could get there before they do."

Oishi sputtered wordlessly as he watched his four friends turn as one to leave him behind. When they did not as much as glance back at him, the vice captain called out angrily to them, "Fine! I'm going home then! At least _one_ of us should have _some_ integrity!" Turning sharply in the opposite direction, the senior started marching away in a huff, a determined look on his face.

O

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A few minutes later, Oishi caught up to them, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Smirking, Eiji opened his mouth to make a smart-assed remark but was cut off by Oishi snapping, "Oh shut up." That only made his tennis partner chortle.

Inui led the four of them into the park and onto the main walking path. After they had gotten some distance, he suddenly veered off the path to cut across the lawn. He eventually came to an area that was dense with trees and foliage. All of them had been come to the park at one time or another and done some exploring on their own, especially when they were children, so they didn't question where Inui was going. They continued walking until Inui finally stopped at a location near the large pond, where they stood behind towering stalks of pussywillows. The senior motioned for them to gather close and then after maneuvering the stalks out of the way, indicated with a nod of his head for them to look through the opening he'd just created.

"So we're looking at the duck pond. With cute ducks swimming around. I don't get it," was Eiji's response.

"The bench!" Kaidoh realized with a start. "That's the one?"

"Yes. That's where they'll be."

"Oooooh, I forgot about that." Eiji instantly moved in closer for a better view.

"This is perfect. If they sit there, their backs would be mostly to us," Oishi muttered out loud unconsciously.

"Yes. The uneven shape of the pond is to our advantage. If we stay behind here, it would be difficult for them to see us unless they really tried to. At the same time, as you can see, we have almost full view of them. It is a bit far, but I can guarantee that the impact is not lessened in the slightest."

Fuji chuckled. "I'm so glad you investigated this so thoroughly beforehand, Inui. We probably would've been caught right at the start."

"Yeah, you're almost too resourceful, Inui. You've effectively removed any element of danger or surprise from this experience," Eiji said with a teasing smile.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "Eh, perhaps not. Unfortunately, at least not the element of surprise."

At his frown, the four regulars turned to look in the direction of the bench and were dismayed to see a couple, who were definitely not Tezuka and Echizen but in fact a man and a woman, sitting down. "Who the hell are _they_?-!" Eiji demanded.

"Well, this is a public park, and that is a public bench," Inui reminded him, although his tone did convey his own sense of disappointment in the unexpected occurrence.

"Should we ask them to leave?" Kaidoh questioned.

"Yeah! Let's tell them to go find some other bench!"

Oishi frowned. "Eiji, isn't that kind of rude?"

"Who cares? There's plenty of—eeeyaah! They're kissing!" the other boy cried all of a sudden.

Sure enough, the couple had started engaging in just that activity. "Based on its location, I guess we shouldn't be surprised that it's used by other couples for the same reason," Inui intoned. "It is partially hidden from most prying eyes."

"What should we do?" Oishi asked.

Eiji's reply was immediate. "Tell them to move of course! Oishi! Go, go tell them to move!" He began urging his friend in that direction with increasingly forceful pushes.

"Me?-! Why me?"

"You're the vice captain!"

"What's that got to do with it?-! Kaidoh! You go do it! You look intimidating enough."

"Hell no." Kaidoh shook his head firmly. "I don't want to be pegged as some weirdo."

"What if we threw some rocks at them? Maybe then they'll move," was Eiji's suggestion.

Oishi immediately struck it down. "That's a stupid idea, Eiji. What if they call the cops?"

"For being pelted by rocks? That's overreacting, isn't it?"

"What would _you_ do if someone started throwing rocks at you? Especially from an unseen source?"

"Then why don't _you_ come up with something?"

Oishi was saved from providing an answer by the sound of Fuji discreetly clearing his throat. "Why don't we wait and see what Tezuka and Echizen decide to do before we act?"

At his words, they turned and saw that the two people in question had arrived and were presently standing behind the couple occupying the bench. They had almost identical looks of surprise on their face. "They got here fast," Kaidoh mumbled.

"We did take the long way," Inui informed him.

"Oh no, what are they gonna do?" Eiji asked in a hushed tone.

They could see that the senior and freshman were discussing their current predicament. At first, Ryoma had a rather sour demeanor, but it cleared up in response to something Tezuka said. After another few seconds of discussion, the two of them turned and walked away. "Where are they going?" Kaidoh wondered.

Inui hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe they're going to find another bench. We'll just have to follow them. Let's go before we lose track of them."

By the time they caught up to Tezuka and Echizen, they were already heading out of the park. This time, it was Oishi's turn to wonder where they were going. Since the situation had diverged from the usual pattern of the last couple of days, even Inui had difficulty coming up with a reasonable guess.

They stalked after them for a couple of blocks. By the time they neared the destination, four out of the five Regulars could already guess where they were heading. Kaidoh was the only one who was in the dark. Therefore, when Tezuka and Echizen stopped in front of a residence, he asked, "Who's place is that?"

"Tezuka's house," Fuji answered just as Eiji exclaimed at the same time, "Whoa! They're going to Tezuka's house! Tezuka's actually inviting Ochibi over to meet his family! His future in-laws!"

Oishi shot his friend a disbelieving look. "Eiji, stop over-reacting. Just because Echizen's meeting his grandparents doesn't mean they're going to start making wedding preparations soon. What the heck am I saying? They are not getting married. They can't even if they wanted to."

"They could if they moved to Holland," Inui suggested.

Kaidoh stared at his senpais in disbelief. The detours their conversation sometimes took never ceased to amaze him.

Meanwhile, Fuji had leaned against the wall they were hiding behind and rested his chin atop his fist in a thoughtful pose. "While I do think talk of marriage is very premature, I must admit it is of some significance that Tezuka is inviting Echizen into his home."

"It means he's really serious about Echizen, doesn't it?" Eiji said eagerly.

"Mmm, perhaps."

"So, so, so does this mean we could blow it all out into the open?" Eiji was practically hopping up and down with excitement now.

Fuji was silent for a long while, as he pondered Kikumaru's question. Just as the other boy was about to repeat the question, Fuji replied with, "How about this, Eiji, let's see how things go after the Prefectural Finals."

"Ha?-! Whyyyy?"

"Because, as you know, the Prefectural finals is one of the most important make it or break it points for us. In some ways, the effects of this hurdle are felt even more deeply than any others. Even if we were to lose during the Regionals, we need to at least make it through the Prefecturals. Tezuka established that criteria ever since he became a part of the Seigaku team so naturally it's become a driving force for all of us. Given that, does it make sense now why we should wait until after the finals?

Faced with such a strong and logical argument, Eiji had no choice but to comply. After all, he was a tennis player and a member of the Seigaku team first and foremost; therefore, he understood only all too well what Fuji meant. Goals of team come first, personal fun and satisfaction come later. Sighing, he slumped bonelessly against the wall next to Fuji. "Alright, after the Prefectural Finals. But no later, okay? I don't know how much longer I can keep this in. It's hard enough just _seeing _them together during practice."

"I know. It's difficult for me too. I've known Tezuka longer. The curiosity's eating away at me as well. There's so much I want to ask them," the tensai admitted, "That's why, even at the danger of refuting my own edict, I couldn't even resist spying on them."

After a while, Eiji nodded, though with a glum look on his face. "So, what now? They went inside already."

"Hmm, I guess that's it then," Inui replied. "We go home now."

Eiji couldn't help pouting a little at that. "Somehow I feel really cheated."

"I don't know. I thought it was a pretty fruitful excursion," Fuji mused.

"Yeah, you wanted to see them together, we saw them together; can't you at least appreciate that, Eiji?" Oishi said with a smile that was meant to be placating.

"Perhaps we'll have more luck tomorrow," Inui suggested.

"Tomorrow?" Oishi turned to Eiji. "You're doing this again tomorrow?"

The other boy flashed a toothy grin and the Victory sign. "Hehe, of course, of course! I'm not gonna give up until I see them kiss. If Inui's not giving up, neither am I."

"I never had any intention of giving up. Even if they were to stop their visits to the park bench, I still could gather plenty of valuable data by just watching them interacting with each other."

"Eto, how do you plan to use information like this, Inui? You think this is going to help you defeat Tezuka, or even Echizen?" Oishi inquired skeptically.

"Any information that would provide me with insight into an opponent's personality could potentially be valuable. I have long ago learned not to disregard anything. But don't worry, I do not plan to use this information in any threatening manner, nor do I plan to sell it for any price. A researcher should maintain a certain degree of integrity, after all."

Oishi decided to just leave it at that instead of bothering to argue. After another brief lull in the conversation, he straightened up and announced, "Alright, I'm going home. You guys can do whatever you want tomorrow; I've had my fill."

"Liar," Eiji said to his friend, then turned to the others and added, "He'll be joining us tomorrow."

"How about we meet by the lockers?" This from Fuji.

They all agreed to the arrangement and with one last parting glance at the young captain's house, started heading back the way they came.

O

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Since they had already finished most of their homework during school, Oishi and Eiji decided to grab a quick bite before going home. Their teammates declined their invitation as each of them had things to do. The two seniors stopped by a takoyaki stand and then brought their boxes of octopus-filled snacks to a nearby overpass to eat. They ate in silence for the most part, each occupied with their own thoughts, until Eiji spoke up by quietly saying, "It's weird."

Oishi looked at his tennis partner. "What is? Tezuka and Echizen?"

The other boy nodded and then shook his head slowly. "Yes and no. It is about them, but not directly. I just feel kinda sad."

"Sad? Why?"

"I don't know. It just feels like…like we're being left behind."

"Hah?"

Eiji furrowed the bridge of his nose in thought as he tried to explain. "Tezuka's our friend, right? I mean, he's always been…Tezuka…the way he is, but he was just like one of us. So seeing him dating, it's as if, all of a sudden, he's no longer just Tezuka, he's different. He's…matured or something. He left us behind to grow up."

Oishi remained silent; he had a feeling that Eiji was on the cusp of some sort of profound realization so he thought it best to hold his tongue and just wait for his friend to continue at his own pace. After another brief pause, Eiji did. "The fact that the person he's dating is Ochibi, that just makes it worse somehow. I mean, even Ochibi is leaving us behind, you know? It just makes me feel sad. It makes me think that, perhaps, it's time for me grow up a little too."

Tensing, Oishi asked cautiously, "Grow up how?"

Eiji shrugged one shoulder. "I dunno. Oishi, do you have someone you like?"

The other boy froze to stare at his friend, an expression of mild panic on his face. "Why do you ask?" His voice came out rather strained.

Eiji drew back to look at him in confusion. "What's wrong with you all of a sudden, Oishi? You have a scary look on your face, like you're gonna pass out soon, nyah."

Blinking, Oishi gave himself a mental shake and apologized. "Um, really, why do you ask?" He tried to sound as casual as possible, even though he suddenly felt like someone had tightened his collar around his neck.

Eiji popped another takoyaki ball in his mouth and shrugged again. "I just wanna know. I want to be prepared."

"O-oh."

"Hey, Oishi, can you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"One day, if you meet someone you like and you decide you want to date that person, can you let me know first? Can you at least tell me, if no one else? I promise I won't tell anyone. I know how I could be sometimes, but seriously, if you were to tell me, I promise to definitely keep it a secret until you say so. Can you do that for me? Just so I won't be caught off guard like I was with Tezuka and Echizen?"

Oishi felt as if a large cotton had been stuffed in his mouth, preventing him from answering. "Hey, Oishi? Did you hear what I said?" Eiji prompted while flicking his finger playfully against Oishi's forehead.

The other senior caught Eiji's fingers in his hand to still the motion. Taking a deep breath, Oishi nodded and replied firmly, "Yes. I promise you, Eiji, you will be the first to know."

Relieved, his friend beamed. "Good. That's good."

Oishi released his hold on the other boy's hand, his face was slightly flushed as he realized he had unintentionally held Eiji's hand. He was grateful that it was already evening and that the lights on the bridge were too dim to clearly illuminate his face. After they were finished with their snack, they got up from the ground to walk home. Out of nowhere, Eiji piped up with, "Oishi, so what is a French-kiss anyway?"

Oishi groaned. "Can we _please_ not talk about that?"

"What's the big deal? Can you just tell me?"

"No."

"But I wanna know," Eiji started to plead. "Oiiiishi! Tell me!"

"No!"

"Why?"

"Why do you want to know anyway?"

"I just wanna. It's not fair that you know and I don't."

"That's just…too bad."

"…So is it something only two guys can do?"

"Can you please drop it, Eiji?-!"

"Why are you so uptight about it?"

"I'm not. I just…I don't want to about it with you."

"Why?-! What's wrong with me?-! Oh, is it something really perverted?"

"Ugh…can you please let it go? It's-it's-it's really nothing," Oishi finished weakly.

But Eiji persisted. "If it's nothing, then why won't you tell me?"

"I feel uncomfortable talking about it."

"Why? We're two guys, and we're friends on top of that. What's there to be uncomfortable about?"

Oishi rubbed a hand roughly up and down his face. "Maybe…maybe I don't know how to explain it. Is that alright?"

"Oh…then, if you can't explain it, can you show me?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT."

"If it's that embarrassing, I promise I won't tell anyone you showed me."

"Kami-sama…."

"Oishi, come on…."

"Eiji. Stop talking. Just SHUT UP."


	7. Focus: There are no losers in this Game

**Rating: R, very R!**

**Focus: There Are No Losers In This Game**

Tezuka lost.

What was always believed to be impossible had occurred at last. After persisting beyond the point of normal human threshold and far beyond anyone's expectations, Tezuka still lost to Atobe by just two simple points. His arm had finally given out, resulting in the shot that cost him the match. Time came to a stop for the whole crowd, including Echizen; everybody was frozen in shock and disbelief. For a split second, they all thought the ball would go over; there was almost no doubt in anyone's mind that it wouldn't. Their breaths stopped the second the ball struck the net with a resounding smack as their minds failed to comprehend what just happened. Even Atobe was caught off guard; he stared blindly at the yellow ball running slowly across the other side of the court as he remained on the ground, on all fours.

Tezuka let out a long sigh that was a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and resignation while he stood in place with his face averted to the sky in supplication. It was finally over.

The referee was the first to snap out of the self-imposed trance and break the spell by calling out the final score of the match.

"Game Hyotei, 7 games to 6!"

As one, the crowd instantly broke free of their momentary paralysis to jump to their feet and erupt in deafening cheers, shrieking the name of both the victor and defeated. Students of Seigaku roared the loudest all in honor of their young captain. Despite the loss, they all knew that they had just witnessed a monumental event, a testament to the boundless possibilities of human will and endurance. This was a match that even those who were not die-hard tennis fans would ever forget, and in the years to come, whenever they tried to recount today's events to others, their voices would always fill with a sense of awe and reverence for the captain of the tennis team.

For those who were actually a part of the Seigaku tennis team, their love and respect for their fierce captain only multiplied.

For Echizen, the image of Tezuka, standing straight and proud on the court, was burned into his mind. In the midst of all the uproar, the only thought that went through his mind was: _He's so awesome._ That sole phrase chorused repetitiously within his head, accompanied by the increasingly rapid beating of his heart and the shortness of his breath. In the far recesses of his consciousness, where logic still ruled, he recognized that this reaction was very uncharacteristic of him. He is the son of the inarguably best tennis player in the whole of Japan; not to mention, during his time in America, his training had included playing against some of the top tennis players of his generation. In all his years in the tennis world, he had never felt awe toward anyone, only the hunger and determination to surpass. Therefore, it practically defied reason that he would feel this undeniable sense of intense veneration for Tezuka all of a sudden. To further push the boundaries of logic, he also felt a surge of another emotion, equally foreign, within him. It took him a few minutes to identify what it was, since he had only read about it or heard it mentioned in the abstract. As he stood there in the bleachers, amongst the rapturous and rowdy crowd, he realized that in addition to awe, what he was also feeling was sheer, unadulterated lust for Tezuka.

The mere acknowledgement of the second emotion was enough to trigger a huge bolt of breath-stopping heat to course down his body to center in his nether regions. He felt a bit weak in the knees in its wake.

_Damn. _Echizen thought as he drank in the sight of Tezuka's lean form hungrily. _I still have a game to play._

He watched as Tezuka approached the net to congratulate Atobe, who then grabbed his hand to raise it in shared victory as way of acknowledging the Seigaku captain. When Tezuka finally turned away to head back to the bench, the senior's eyes immediately seeked those of Echizen's, causing another sharp bolt to course through the freshman. _Idiot, _Ryoma mentally cursed, the epithet partially directed at his own unruly biological reaction and at Tezuka, the cause of it. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he started to head down toward the court, meeting up with the senior at the end of the bleachers.

"Echizen."

_Even his voice sounds good. Better than usual_. Echizen swallowed hard, wincing at the sudden dryness of his mouth.

The crowd, who had begun whispering about what would happen next since the tournament was now at a tie, immediately fell into a hush as Echizen took his racket out of his bag and headed down to the court. He listened idly as the referee announced the commencement of the sub games to determine the final outcome of the tournament.

Ryuzaki and the other Regulars murmured their words of encouragement to the young tennis prodigy, all of which he acknowledged with a curt nod. Tezuka took his place as the bench coach, and when Echizen finally faced him, the young captain raised his head to gaze at him steadily.

"Do you still remember what I told you under the overpass two months ago?"

"Yes," the other boy answered quickly. He was barely paying attention, absorbed as he was seeing Tezuka up-close. He licked his lips unconsciously at the sight of the senior's long and smooth limbs, which were currently glistening with sweat. He was suddenly filled with the memory of how Tezuka's skin felt and tasted, and to dispel these unbidden thoughts, he forced himself to look away and over at the opponent he was soon to play against. He couldn't recall the guy's name at all, it was either Hitoshi or Hiyoshi or neither. Either way, he would finish him quickly.

Out loud, Echizen stated, "This won't take long."

"You probably shouldn't underestimate him. It's rumored that he might be the next Hyotei captain," Tezuka warned.

Echizen turned his attention back to the senior. The intensity of his gaze caught Tezuka off guard, making his breath catch a little as his eyes widened in surprise. "Echizen," Tezuka said in an almost breathless voice, momentarily forgetting their current surroundings and circumstances.

But Echizen only smirked in response and then pulled the tip of his cap down before wordlessly turning away and heading over to take his place on the court. In his wake, Tezuka could only blink in confusion. The young captain could still feel the heat that had rushed up to his cheeks in reaction to the look the freshman had given him. As he watched Echizen toss the ball up in the air to begin his serve, he wondered with a sense of bewilderment, _What was _that_ all about?_

O

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Later on, after everyone had finished their rounds of congratulations to the winning Seigaku team and the team itself was all packed up and ready to leave, Coach Ryuzaki and his fellow teammates all urged Tezuka to visit the hospital so he could get his arm thoroughly examined. Impatient to get the captain alone, Echizen loudly offered to take him there. Strangely enough, hardly anyone argued against his offer except for Horio, who thought they should all go with Tezuka as a team. Fortunately for him, no one else paid any attention to Horio; in fact, the Regulars were actually insistent about Echizen taking Tezuka. If he had been in a less distracted state of mind, he would probably have been suspicious at his teammates' behavior, but as it was, Echizen decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially when earlier he had a moment of alarm when someone had suggested that they head over to Kawamura's dad's sushi place to celebrate. Thankfully, that suggestion was quickly shot down by the majority, out of respect for the injured members of their team. They unanimously decided to postpone their celebrations until next weekend instead.

Echizen remained silent for the better part of their trip to the hospital, barely responding to Tezuka's attempts at conversation. He was too busy concentrating on trying not to think about how close the other boy was beside him, and how easy it would be to just reach out and slip his hand underneath Tezuka's shirt. He had to cross his arms against his chest to stop himself from giving in to the urge.

"Echizen?"

It took him a while to realize that Tezuka was calling him and had been for quite some time. He was disturbed at the path his thoughts were taking and shook his head firmly to clear them away. What the heck was the matter with him? He wasn't some vapid teenage girl mooning over her boyfriend. It was just a stupid biological reaction. A stupid, annoying reaction that he had no control over whatsoever. With a dark scowl, he grumbled, "Hurry up," at the senior as he quickened his pace.

Taken aback by the obvious annoyance in the other boy's voice and mistakenly assuming that it stemmed from disappointment, Tezuka frowned and followed him quietly. It was a baseless assumption, of course, born from his own overwhelming concern about the image he presented to the freshman. He knew that Echizen didn't see him as infallible; if anything, the freshman probably believed everyone had the capacity to fail. Therefore, his disappointment must be due to the timing of his failure. Perhaps he had misjudged how much the other boy wanted him to win the match, how important it was to Echizen that he remained undefeated always. After all, their personal relationship notwithstanding, he was still Echizen's captain, and that title brought with it the responsibilities of being a role model as well. While his own aim was to show the younger boy—and everyone else on the team for that matter—that perseverance despite almost insurmountable hardship was just as valuable as winning, perhaps Echizen had not understood his purpose. How ironic would it be that the one person whom he wanted to convey that message to was the only person who ended up not receiving it. Judging from the glowing reception he received from the other team members at the end of the match, he knew that they at least understood him; so how had he failed in reaching Echizen?

But what if something else entirely that was upsetting the freshman? After all, he was the one who volunteered to take him to the hospital, so perhaps his foul disposition had nothing to do with him after all. Although, being the person who ultimately propelled the team past the Prefecturals and into the Regionals, there really should be no reason for Echizen to be upset. He had received his fair share of accolades after the match, in fact, quite a few of them. Was he still upset that he was only the reserve player? Tezuka had guessed what Echizen's reaction would be when he decided on that—and it was his decision, which he conveyed to Ryuzaki-sensei as a strong suggestion—but at the time, he was certain his decision was the right one. Considering the outcome, he was glad he stuck to it, despite some protest from even the coach. And, logically speaking, Echizen should also be pleased with the outcome.

So that brings him back to square one, why was Echizen so grumpy?

Tezuka looked down at the other boy, whose eyes remained glued to the street. He wished he could be more in tuned to what the freshman was actually thinking. He knew his own mind was just running around in helpless circles at this point. Unfortunately, despite the fact that they had already gotten as physically close as two people could possibly get, he still hadn't gotten over his long established habit of not prying into other people's business, so he was unable to come straight out to ask Echizen what was wrong. Amazingly enough, his comfort level with the freshman was only at the point where he felt free to talk and answer questions about himself, but not the other way around. He would always find himself on the verge of scaling that wall, but never fully succeeding. He had yet to realize that by now, the boundaries of social etiquette should have already become non-existent between them.

Fortunately for both of them, since the beginning, Echizen never had such qualms.

O

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Their visit to the hospital took close to an hour. The doctor, who also happened to be Oishi's uncle, was quite upset to see that Tezuka had actually managed to worsen his condition after having just recovered from his old injury. Even though there were no bone fractures as he had initially feared, X-rays of the senior's arm did show that the joints and muscles were severely swollen, from wrist to shoulder. The doctor was surprised that the boy was even able to play for as long as he did, considering the numbing pain must have set in by the first hour. To reduce the swelling, the doctor had to administer a strong Cortisone shot along with prescriptions for painkillers. He also gave Tezuka names of several physical therapists who specialized in dealing with sports-related injuries, demanding that he start the therapy sessions as soon as possible.

"You're lucky there weren't any bone fractures or torn muscles, Tezuka-kun, but this is bad enough. Mataku, didn't you hear what I told you at all last time? Even though you recovered completely, you were still supposed to take it easy. Now you definitely won't be able to play tennis for quite some time. In fact, if you want a future in tennis at all, Tezuka-kun, you have to keep your arm decommissioned for at least a few months if not more," the doctor warned before they left.

Though the doctor's prognosis did trouble him, after spending what seemed like an eternity at the hospital, Echizen decided that sympathy and concern would have to come later; there were more immediate needs to be taken care of right now. As soon as they left the building, he decided that they were going to take the train to Tezuka's house.

Tezuka was surprised. "The train? Don't you want to stop by somewhere to eat first?"

The other boy responded instantly with, "No. I want to get back to your place right now. We took long enough at the hospital."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Never mind that, let's just go."

"Echizen…."

Seeing that the senior remained rooted to the spot, Ryoma sighed loudly and stopped to turn and face him. "Kuni-chan, let's just get there, okay?" he said in a resigned voice, and then added in a more husky tone, "I promise you won't regret it."

The intense look from before returned; this time, Tezuka felt heat rush through his entire body in response, instead of just his cheeks. Feeling a little off-balanced by the unexpected reaction, he nodded dumbly and followed the freshman without another word.

The train ride was a decidedly unpleasant experience for both of them. Because it was a Sunday, every compartment was crowded with people; all the seats were taken so the two boys had to stand. They stayed by the sliding doors, pressed against each other. Not wanting Tezuka to know the effect his proximity was having on him, Echizen stood with his back to the other while hiding the front of his body with his bag. Little did he know that the senior was struggling from the same problem, since the memory of the heated gaze Echizen had directed at him was still fresh in his mind. He also stood with his back to the younger boy, while his frontside was pressed against the door itself. Thankfully, it was a rather short trip, only a few stops. As soon as the doors of the train compartment slid open, the two of them quickly jumped out onto the platform, grateful for the freedom of space.

Echizen then hurried Tezuka along the short distance from the train station to his house. Dissatisfied with the senior's speed, the younger boy actually grabbed hold of Tezuka's hand to pull him the rest of the way. Startled and slightly embarrassed by this sudden public gesture, the young captain cleared his throat and muttered, "Echizen, I can walk on my own."

Showing no indication that he heard him, Echizen asked instead, "Hey, are your grandparents at home?"

"Uh, no. They're still at the store; otherwise, they would've come to watch the game. I need to call them…."

"Are they coming home soon?"

"Actually, they're going out to dinner with some friends from the senior center tonight, so they probably won't be back until later. Why?"

Without slowing down, Echizen turned to look at Tezuka, a wide grin stretched across his face. Combined with the odd gleam in his eyes, he looked rather devilish. "Perfect," he responded in English.

As soon as they went through the front door, Echizen was on him. The senior barely had the chance to lock the door before the younger boy grabbed him by the shirt to pull him down for a passionate kiss. Echizen's hands had already worked most of the buttons of his shirt off by the time Tezuka regained his senses enough to realize that they were still standing in the garden. He took hold of the freshman's hands to stop their busy activity and pulled away, though not without great reluctance.

"What are you doing?" the young captain asked breathlessly.

"Idiot, what does it look like?"

"We're right by the front door."

"Then let's go inside." Echizen held him by the sleeve and tugged him toward the house. Once they were inside, he tried to resume the kiss, but was once again stopped by the other boy, who said, "I have to call my grandparents."

Though impatient, Echizen figured that it would probably be better to get that out of the way first so he released the senior and took a step back. "Hurry up and call them."

"We left our bags by the front; do you want to go get them while I call, otherwise it'll look strange when they come home."

"Whatever." The freshman nevertheless turned to go pick up the bags they had dropped. When he returned, he handed Tezuka his bags and waited as the older boy briefly conversed with his grandparents, shifting in place restlessly the whole time. As soon as he hung up, Echizen grabbed his hand again to lead him upstairs.

Once they reached Tezuka's bedroom, the freshman finally relinquished his grip to dump his bags haphazardly on the floor. Tezuka was just turning around after closing and locking the door and barely had time to unload his own bags before Echizen pulled him over to the bed and shoved him rather forcefully onto it. The freshman then straddled his hips and in one motion, pulled off his glasses and swooped down to capture his lips in a hard kiss. Echizen pressed himself flush against Tezuka from shoulder to legs while he attacked the other boy's lips mercilessly, drawing whimpers and soft groans from his victim. At one point, while chewing roughly on the senior's bottom lip, he almost managed to break the skin. While one of his hands still held Tezuka's glasses in a close-to-crushing grip, the other was grabbing fistfuls of Tezuka's hair to tug his head into a better angle to access his mouth. Swept up in the heat of the moment, the senior hardly noticed the pain.

When Ryoma finally wrenched away, they were panting. Both of their lips were slightly bruised. In the next instant, the freshman started making his way down Tezuka's neck and chest, tasting the skin there with kisses and licks, stopping only to worry Tezuka's nipples until the other boy was arching in open-mouthed ecstasy. Somewhere at the far back of his mind, he was actually quite astonished at the younger boy's aggressiveness, but luckily, he finally had enough sense to just accept the blessed circumstances and hold off the questions until later.

Needing a short break to regain his breath, the freshman pulled away momentarily to deposit Tezuka's now slightly bent glasses on the bedside table and to take off his clothes. Echizen was already fully naked by the time Tezuka started to remove his lower garments, so the younger boy resumed his position with a leg on each side of his body to continue assaulting his mouth.

It wasn't until a long, long while later that Tezuka finally managed to mutter between kisses the word, "drawer". He had to repeat the word several times since Echizen remained preoccupied.

"Hmmm?" Echizen mumbled, while sucking on the patch of skin on Tezuka's shoulder he had been nuzzling. He realized faintly that he would probably cause a mark to appear again, but instead of being concerned, he only moved to another patch of skin and repeated the action. He then started rocking against Tezuka, causing the other boy to gasp loudly in surprise.

"Echizen, Ryoma, stop, stop," Tezuka pleaded through clenched teeth. He was so close. Too close.

"What?" the freshman demanded, displeased at the interruption.

Tezuka started motioning in the direction of his bedside table. "Get the…in the drawer." He couldn't get it himself since the younger boy was still sitting on top of him.

It took a beat for Echizen's lust-muddled brain to figure out what the other boy was talking about. With a small huff of breath, he moved off of Tezuka to remove the jar of petroleum jelly from inside the drawer of the bedside table. The senior took the opportunity to quickly pull the remainder of his clothing and shift into position on the bed. However, just as he got on his knees and was about to bend forward, Echizen stopped him by placing a hand on his hip.

Turning his head, Tezuka raised one eyebrow inquisitively. "What is it?"

Looking intently at the senior, Echizen hesitated for a second before asking, "Want to try it the other way this time?"

Tezuka blinked, not quite comprehending what he meant. "What?"

"We could try it the other way. You could be…the lead. On top."

When Tezuka still didn't respond, Echizen leaned in and began licking and nipping playfully on his arm and shoulder. "How about it, Kuni-chan? Want to try it?"

Despite the lack of response, the truth was, Tezuka had been thinking about it since their second time together: how it would feel to be the one "on top". Not that he didn't derive pleasure from being the one on the receiving end—in fact, he derived _a lot_ of pleasure from it—but basic curiosity made him wonder how Echizen would feel if their roles were reversed. Or rather, more accurately, how _he_ would feel to be in Echizen's position. He had been wondering how he could propose such a notion to the younger boy, but he could never find the right time or proper way to bring up such a delicate subject. Even though he was a bit astonished, he was actually glad that Echizen had solved his dilemma for him. Therefore, before the other boy needed to repeat the question a third time, he answered with a firm, "Yes. I would like to try it the other way."

With a slight smirk, Echizen delved in to plant a kiss on his lips. "Yes. Good." He kissed him again, and then paused and sat back on his hunches with a pensive expression. "But how are we going to do this?"

Confused, Tezuka crinkled the bridge of his nose. "How? What do you mean?" Wouldn't they just do it the same way as they've been doing it, except with their positions reversed?

"I don't want you to accidentally put pressure on your arm. It might aggravate your condition."

"I really don't feel any pain," Tezuka replied earnestly.

Chuckling in response, Echizen placed both hands on the senior's chest and pressed him back. "Just the same. There are other ways to do this. Here, sit against the wall. And I'll just…." He kneeled astride Tezuka's lap, making sure to concentrate most of his weight on his own knees. "See? This way we can do it and you won't have to use your arm."

Tezuka smiled with gratitude, touched by the other boy's consideration even during such a situation. Echizen then handed the canister of jelly to him and said, "Now prepare me."

With great care and good degree of anxiety, Tezuka did as told. Since the memories of their first time was permanently etched into his mind, he recalled quite clearly the initial discomfort involved, so he made sure to more than adequately prepare the younger boy.

Despite so, Echizen couldn't help wincing at the alien sensation of the older boy's fingers. Not wanting to alarm Tezuka, he pressed his face against the groove of the senior's neck and shoulder to hide his expression. It wasn't quite painful since Tezuka had practically over-coated his digits with the jelly, but the intrusion still felt extremely weird. It took a long while before he began to grow somewhat accustomed to the feeling. Eventually, he even became slightly impatient as Tezuka continued his ministrations. "It's good, Kuni-chan. That's enough," Echizen informed him.

"It's going to hurt," Tezuka explained, a tinge of worry coloring his voice.

"I know. But if you could deal with it, so can I."

Even though his own body was taut with desire, Tezuka still hesitated to proceed.

"Anyway," Echizen continued, "It felt good eventually, didn't it? You always looked like you really enjoy it."

"I do," was the instant reply.

"Well then, just make sure I'll eventually enjoy it too. I trust you, buchou."

A flood of peculiar warmth that was different from lust washed over Tezuka, and on an impulse, he captured the freshman's lips in a long involved kiss. Preparations complete, he finally began to enter the other boy in a painstakingly slow fashion.

At the first breach of entry, Echizen's breath caught. He closed his eyes tightly shut as his lips pulled back in a grimace. He knew it was going to hurt at first. He knew it even without Tezuka reminding him. He had read enough about it, after all. Just the same, when faced with the real thing, he was still utterly caught off guard. He just didn't expect it to be so _unbelievably_ uncomfortable. And the fact that Tezuka was proceeding at a snail's pace did not help either, even though he knew that was done for his benefit. On the contrary, the slowness of the senior's movements was somehow emphasizing the level of discomfort. Echizen began breathing in open-mouthed gasps as sweat began to break out all over his body.

Feeling the frantic puffs of air on the side of his neck and the tenseness of the younger boy's body, Tezuka stopped abruptly in concern. "Echizen, are you okay? Does it hurt? Am I going too fast?" the senior inquired worriedly. In truth, the degree of control he was exerting over his own baser instincts to just plunge ahead was actually making him break out in a cold sweat.

Echizen shook his head, even though his eyes were still squeezed shut. "Just…give me…minute…," he answered in halting breaths. Once his breathing somewhat stabilized, Echizen began moving himself, first up a little and then down, each time going further and further until finally, after what seemed like an eternity for both of them, he was seated all the way. Lifting his head to meet the older boy's eyes, he flashed him a reassuring smile. "You just…take some getting use to."

Tezuka nodded in understanding and placing his hand on the back of Echizen's head, pulled him in for another passionate kiss. When they broke away, their excitement was once again rekindled. The freshman was once again smirking as he whispered huskily, "Make me enjoy it, Kuni-chan."

Those words served as a release for Tezuka, allowing him to let go of his reserve. Resting his hands on either side of Echizen's hips, he began to move, steadily picking up speed.

At first the sensation still felt rather odd to the freshman, his brow furrowing in reaction, but as he got more use to it, it soon enough gave way to a faintly pleasing feeling that was becoming more pleasurable by the second. When Tezuka's right hand closed around him, Echizen whimpered and nodded eagerly in approval. His hands, which until now had been gripping the bed sheets on either side of Tezuka, snaked up and around to encircle Tezuka's back. He was beginning to feel better. Much, much better.

It occurred to him then that there was still something missing: a nagging feeling at the back of his mind was telling him that Tezuka needed to do something else. But what? When Echizen pinpointed what it was, he pressed his forehead against the older boy's to catch his attention. "Tez- Tezuka," his brain was having trouble focusing, "Can you…move…tilt up…tilt…tilt…?"

"What're you saying?" the older boy asked in a slightly desperate tone. His mind was currently even less capable of comprehending words.

"Don't slow down! Just…." Exasperated, the younger boy gave up the attempt to explain and instead started shifting around on his own, trying to make Tezuka hit that spot he was seeking.

Tezuka clenched his teeth tightly; Echizen's undulations were pushing him closer and closer to the edge, and he didn't want things to end this soon. "Ech—you have to…stop. Stop doing that."

Ignoring him, the other boy commanded instead, "Keep going, keep going, don't stop." When one of Tezuka's thrust finally did hit home, Echizen's eyes flew open as he made a noise that was a cross between a loud gasp and a whimper. His vision flooded with a bright whiteness as if a small explosion just went off. "There," he groaned. "There. Right there. Keep it, Tez…keep it there."

As Tezuka continued to stroke against the gland in earnest, Echizen started to make all sorts of interesting and rather _adorable_ noises, which only served to excite the older boy more, causing him to move even faster. As the freshman's cries increased in volume, Tezuka shushed him gently out of habit, forgetting that his grandparents were still not home. He buried his face against the softness of the younger boy's hair to smother his own cries.

As they strove closer and closer to their mutual climax, their lips reconnected once again in sloppy, fervent kisses. This time, Echizen did succeed in breaking skin as he bit down on Tezuka's lower lip in passion. That only increased Tezuka's fervor. He got up on his knees and shifted his left hand from Echizen's hip down to his thigh to draw it further apart, giving him better access. In response, Echizen unfurled his arms from around Tezuka's back and leaned backwards, supporting his own weight with his hands behind him on the bed. He pressed his feet against the wall, using it for leverage.

Their lovemaking became more and more frenzied until finally, incapable of holding back any longer, Tezuka came, shouting harshly. His grip tightened on Echizen's member as his other hand dug into the freshman's thigh, his nails creating deep indentations on the soft flesh there. It was enough to trigger the other boy's orgasm. Caught up in the mind-blowing pleasure, Tezuka rode out his own climax to the end and even beyond without ever slowing down, prolonging the intense sensations, to the point where Echizen eventually told him to stop in almost pleading whimpers. The excruciating pleasure was becoming too much to bear.

Apologizing, Tezuka immediately slowed his thrusts to a halt and bent down to rain kisses all over the younger boy's face. Thoroughly spent, the senior collapsed bonelessly against Echizen, who brought his legs up to wrap them loosely across the senior's back, ankles crossing.

For a long time more, they remained joined together, pressed against one another in the middle of the bed, listening to each other breathe. Eventually, concerned with Echizen's comfort since his head was practically hanging off the edge of the bed, Tezuka carefully extricated himself. The freshman grunted slightly at their separation, as it did burn a little. They rearranged themselves so that they could lay side by side underneath the covers, facing each other. Tezuka began stroking the sweat-moistened bangs from Echizen's forehead as he asked, "Are you okay?"

Lips stretching in a satiated smile, the other boy replied, "Now I am."

Tezuka was pleased. He felt extremely good himself; a pleasant mixture of gratitude, warmth, and satisfaction was bubbling inside of him. Not for the first time he wished he had the adequate words to convey to Echizen how he felt about the fact that they got to share these wonderful experiences together. He had never been at loss for meaningful words at crucial moments, yet somehow, he suddenly acquired this inability of expressing himself in his private life. He would've never guessed that he would end up developing such a significant shortcoming. On some level, he knew it was pretty illogical that he would still feel so tongue-tied around Echizen, but the sad fact remained. It was a hurdle he wished to overcome, if only he knew how.

Wrapped up in his ruminations, he jumped slightly when Echizen suddenly caught his hand. "My mom use to do that when I would get sick," the freshman explained lazily. He brought Tezuka's hand down against the warmth of his own abdomen, holding it there. "It feels kinda weird when you do that."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Hey, how's your arm? Does it hurt?"

Tezuka shook his head. "I can barely feel it, actually. The shot the doctor gave me was quite strong. There's just this pressure there, but no pain. But are you sure you're alright? I hope I wasn't too…rough?"

Echizen scoffed at that. "I don't think you could be even if you tried."

"I'm being serious."

The freshman lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Whatever. I'd say it was well worth the pain."

Tezuka smiled and then, in a soft voice, said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For letting me…lead."

"Oh. That." Echizen's lips stretched in a complacent grin. "I told you you wouldn't regret it."

Tezuka thought about it for a moment and then his eyes widened in realization. "So that's why you were in a hurry?"

Echizen snorted. "Why else would I be in such a hurry to get back here? I'm amazed you couldn't even guess. You can be pretty dense sometimes, buchou."

Pursing his lips in displeasure, Tezuka replied, "How could I have known? You were acting so strange, I just thought you were upset at me."

"Eh? About what?"

"The Hyotei match."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I was annoyed at first. I didn't think you'd put me as the reserve player, but I got over it. Winning helped."

"No, I mean…I thought you were upset because I lost to Atobe."

"Huh?" Echizen gave him a funny look. "Oh yeah, you did, didn't you? I almost forgot about that. But why would I be mad about that? We still won the finals."

"You weren't disappointed that I lost?"

"Mmm. I guess I was, now that you mention it. I mean, everyone was disappointed; it was such a close game. If it weren't for your elbow, you would've won." Without waiting for a response, Echizen went on to say, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. You were still very good."

"Th-thank you," he answered dubiously. He hadn't expected this from the freshman.

"I wished I was the one playing against you. I know the monkey king's at National level, but ultimately, he was lucky that you had a weakness to exploit. He was good, but you were better."

Tezuka was truly flattered by that, as he realized that this was the first time Ryoma had ever openly praised him, and in such a blatant manner too. Instead of acknowledging the compliment, however, he said, "You probably shouldn't underestimate Atobe's abilities. Even before my handicap developed, we were equals in terms of skills. Not to mention, his level of endurance is also impressive. Even if my arm hadn't given out, I can't say for sure that I would've won."

"Hmmph, I don't know about that. He's one annoying bastard though. And an egomaniac on top of that, with his 'Ore-sama' this and 'Ore-sama' that. What a nuisance."

"He is a bit on the showy side, but that's probably because of his confidence in his abilities."

Echizen grunted, waving a hand dismissively. "People who are truly confident in their abilities wouldn't need to show off like that."

Images of the many occasions when the freshman smugly challenged his upperclassman teammates surfaced in Tezuka's mind. He thought it best to not mention those instances, however, knowing that his companion would probably not appreciate it.

"Anyway, what made you think I was mad at you in the first place? How'd you even come to that conclusion?" The last question was partially smothered by a yawn.

"You looked upset afterwards. When we were walking to the hospital, you acted like you didn't want to talk to me."

"That. No, I just wanted to come back so we could have sex."

"I still don't understand. What…what brought it on? This sudden desire?"

"I don't know. I was just…watching you play and then the match was over and suddenly I just wanted to do it very bad. It was very annoying."

"Oh." Now everything made sense: the heated gaze, the grumpiness, the rush. Remembering the disgruntled look Echizen had on his face, the senior couldn't help breaking out in a smile. In light of what he was just told, it was a rather endearing expression. His smile turned into a huge grin when he then remembered how the boy practically attacked him as soon as they got here.

"What's that stupid grin for?" Echizen demanded irritably.

Tezuka shook his head. "Nothing." The chuckle that escaped him in the next second contradicted the innocence of his answer. The resulting glare the younger boy directed at him only served to deepen his laughter more.

With a sound of disgust, Echizen pushed the older boy away and turned onto his back. Rolling his eyes in disdain, he crossed his arms against his chest and grumbled, "You're so immature, Tezuka-buchou."

It took some effort, but Tezuka was finally able to get his mirth under control. He placed a placating hand on the other boy's arm and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. You just…surprised me, that's all. Would it help if I said I'm flattered?"

"Hmmph. Maybe you shouldn't be. Now that I think about it, you weren't the only person on the court; I could've easily been reacting to the monkey king, you know." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Echizen shivered and shook his head. "On second thought, never mind. I definitely was _not_."

"Why do you find him so repulsive?" Tezuka pointed out, an amused smile playing about his lips.

"It's not that he's _physically_ repulsive, there's just something about him that bugs me. Makes me want to punch him every time I see him."

"That's a bit extreme. He seems to have a lot of fans though."

"Yeah, people are strange."

Tezuka chuckled. "Atobe's not a bad guy. From what I've heard, he's actually a good captain. He has to be in order to manage such a strong team."

"Mada mada dane." A brief pause. "Na, is that why you decided to risk your arm to play him? Because it was a captain to captain kind of thing? I mean, you could've easily just let me play him. Actually, I was surprised the old lady let you go through with it. Why'd you do it? Especially when we still have some ways to go before the Nationals?"

Taking a deep, gathering breath, the young captain turned to stare at the ceiling pensively. _How should I answer him?_ he wondered. Echizen was right, he had been taking a risk, quite a big one at that. He knew it, and so did Ryuzaki-sensei when they were discussing the line-up. That was part of the reason why she argued against his choice of putting Echizen on reserve. Logically speaking, it would have been a far safer bet to pitch Echizen against the Hyotei captain since, even if Hiyoshi was a strong player, he was still no match against Tezuka. As the captain of Seigaku, however, he couldn't afford to restrict his thoughts to just the moment, to just this one game. He had to consider the future as well. He knew that Atobe would find out about his freshly healed elbow injury, and he also knew, based on the other senior's reputation, that Atobe would be fully prepared to take advantage of his handicap. Therefore, Tezuka decided early on in the game that he would push himself into a corner before allowing his opponent to, so that he would be able to maintain some degree of control over the match. As a result, despite the doctor's stern warning, he still encouraged a long match. In fact, he counted on having one. What he hadn't counted on was his own emotions in the heat of the moment. Midway through the match, when he first began to feel the ache in his arm, he was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of pride that bordered on obstinacy. The twin thoughts of, _I do not want to lose this way, I will_ not_ lose this way_, went through his head like a mantra. As the captain of one of the finest teams in Tokyo, he had an image to live up to for the sake of his team members. He had to show them what it meant to be a true leader and athlete. He also had to determine how far he could push himself. He didn't want his handicap to become the team's so he had to find out where the breaking point was before it was too late.

"It had to be done," was his reply, after a long while. Meeting Echizen's eyes, he explained, "I can't go into the Nationals with this kind of weakness. For me, the greater risk would've been to have all of you depend on me and then for me to not be able to deliver. I have to overcome this. Playing against Atobe was what I needed to measure just how much I still have to overcome."

For a moment, Ryoma simply returned his gaze wordlessly to allow the other boy's words to sink in. In a way, it did make sense. Had he been in Tezuka's position, he probably would've done the same. Of course his motivation would not have been as noble. He would've been more concerned about his own personal hurdle than anything else, since he also believed in pushing beyond one's limit until it no longer was a factor. Closing his eyes, he sighed and remarked, "I guess that's what it means to be the pillar of Seigaku."

"One day, you will be that too," the young captain stated with the utmost certainty.

"Mmm. Your unshakeable faith in me is much appreciated," was the somewhat sarcastic reply.

"Echizen, there are different types of leaders. You don't have to be exactly like me to be a competent one."

"Thank God for that."

Despite the freshman's mocking attitude, Tezuka was not discouraged. _You will be the pillar of Seigaku in the future, Echizen, as soon as you find your own style of tennis. I know I'm right._

The younger boy yawned loudly and muttered, "I'm sleepy."

"Sleep," Tezuka said as he tugged the covers higher up over the both of them. He tried to pull Echizen closer against him, but the other boy resisted, climbing over him instead to lay by his other side, the right side. "I don't want to fall asleep on your arm," Ryoma explained as he pressed against the senior.

Touched by his consideration, Tezuka smiled and then wrapped his arm around the freshman, resting his chin on top of the younger boy's head. It wasn't long before he joined the other boy in slumber, the rhythmic cadence of Echizen's gentle breath against his neck luring him like a lullaby.

O

O

O

O

They woke up a few hours later and did it again, this time with Echizen on top. When they were done, they realized that they were both starving since they hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and it was already evening. They went downstairs to the kitchen where Tezuka prepared rice along with a few accompanying dishes as entrée. Again, Echizen simply watched from the sidelines; he use to help his mother in the kitchen when he was much younger, but after picking up tennis, he never really had the time to do that anymore. Not to mention, he rather enjoyed just watching the other boy cook. There was a certain grace to his movements that he found almost mesmerizing.

After their meal, they went out in the porch to sit, where they were content to just spend most of the time watching the koi swimming in the pond. They sat very close to each other but not quite touching. They were only outside for a brief period before Tezuka's grandparents came home, bringing back with them some pastries for them to eat. They spent some time chatting with his grandparents and polishing off the small cakes, along with the tea that his grandfather brewed. By the time they went back upstairs, since their grandparents retired to their rooms, they were both feeling rather sluggish from full stomachs. However, that didn't prevent them from trying some new things out, as Echizen put it.

They barely succeeded in keeping their voices down.

By the time they were well and truly done, and spent, neither of them could barely move a muscle. Echizen fell asleep again, this time without even saying a word. Tezuka didn't even know he was sleeping until he heard the soft snores coming from him. The senior glanced at the clock, wondering if he should wake the boy instead since it was already half past nine. Seeing the peaceful expression on Echizen's face, however, changed his mind.

_I'll wake him up in 30 minutes_, Tezuka thought. He briefly considered setting the alarm, but since he wasn't that sleepy, only exhausted to the bones, he reasoned that it was probably not necessary. He simply turned on his side so that he could watch Echizen as he slept, his eyes glancing back to the clock once in a while to keep track of the time.

O

O

O

O

Echizen's eyes popped open suddenly. He stared blankly up at the ceiling, wondering what had woken him. A second later, the answer came.

He had to pee. Really bad.

Reluctant to relinquish the warmth of the bed, he tried ignoring the need and going back to sleep instead; unfortunately, the more he tried to put it out of his mind, the more urgent the urge became. His bladder felt like it was about to explode. With an annoyed grunt, he slid clumsily out of bed and stopped momentarily, wincing at the soreness he felt throughout his body (especially his backside), before heading groggily for the bathroom, his sleep-laden eyes barely open a crack. After finishing his business, he headed back to bed like a somnambulist. He grimaced slightly as he rolled back under the covers and automatically huddled close to the bundle of warmth by his side, not quite registering it. He was about to fall asleep when the warm lump spoke.

"What time is it?" a sleepy voice asked.

It took him a beat to realize the voice belonged to Tezuka, who was facing the wall, and another beat to re-orient himself and remember that he had fallen asleep after sex. A corner of Ryoma's lips tilted up in a contented smirk at the memory. After very, very good sex. Now he knew why he felt so utterly worn out. It wasn't a bad feeling though; it just made him want to lie there forever and not move. Still, he was curious how long they've been napping so he turned on his side to look at the clock and read off the digital numbers in reply, "1:13". He turned onto his back again and closed his eyes. They flew open in the next second when he realized what he had just said.

Not certain if he heard right, Tezuka turned over partially and asked, "What time did you say?"

"Shit!" Echizen jumped out of bed and started searching frantically for his clothes. Fully alert by now, Tezuka also got out of bed to help him look while seeking his own clothes simultaneously.

"I should have set my alarm," the senior reprimanded himself unhappily. He didn't even know when he had fallen asleep, though it was pretty amazing that they had slept for so many hours without even knowing it. "I'll take you home on my bike," he said as he hastily buttoned up his shirt. "Your parents must be worried sick. You didn't even get to call them tonight."

"I'm a mess," Ryoma complained tonelessly. He stopped, considered whether he should borrow Tezuka's shower. He was already late, would another five or ten minutes really make a difference?

"Maybe you should call home?" Tezuka suggested.

Echizen shook his head, having come to a decision. "Won't make a difference. The old man's probably up waiting for me anyway."

"Are you going to get in trouble?"

Seeing the look of worry on the young captain's face, Echizen shrugged nonchalantly as he smiled. "Who knows. I've never gotten in trouble before; it'll be interesting to see what happens."

Tezuka shook his head. "I feel horrible."

"Why? We both fell asleep, it happens. Don't worry. I'm not. The old man will probably just chew me out a little. I have even less to worry about when it comes to my mom."

Though not at all reassured, Tezuka decided they had little choice now but to face the music. When Echizen tried to wipe himself off with a tissue, Tezuka stopped him and then rushed out of the room to return a few seconds later with a wet towel which he handed to the freshman. Echizen cleaned himself quickly and then handed the towel back to Tezuka, who did the same before tossing it carelessly on the bed. When their eyes met, they took a second to assess each other, before chuckling a little at their respective state of disarray. "What're you going to tell your parents?" Tezuka asked as he reached out to run his hand through Echizen's hair to make it look more presentable.

Shrugging again, Echizen started shouldering his bags but Tezuka stopped him in a silent offer to help carry them. "I'll just tell them I came over here after the Hyotei match and fell asleep. I know how to handle my dad. My mom's never even raised her voice at me my whole life. I just feel a little bad that she's probably worried about me. Anyway, let's go. I'll deal with it when I get home."

With the utmost care, they made their way downstairs and out of the house stealthily, not wanting to wake up Tezuka's grandparents. Tezuka took his bike out from the small storage shed at the back and walked it outside the front door before getting on it. He hesitated then, an uncertain expression on his face. "I've never carried a passenger on my bike before," Tezuka confessed, his voice low, mindful of their quiet surroundings. Due to the late hour, the streets were fairly deserted of pedestrians, though cars still occasionally drove by. "I guess you could sit on the handlebars?"

Echizen pursed his lips wryly, even though he understood that the senior had not intended for his question to be a direct jab at their height difference. "I don't think so. I usually ride on the back of Momo-senpai's bike. Here, I'll show you."

Slinging his sportsbag behind his back, the freshman placed a foot on the hub of the backwheel on one side and boosted himself up using Tezuka's shoulders for support, though he was careful not to put too much weight on the left shoulder. "Sit forward a little," he instructed the older boy as he placed his other foot on the other side. Not use to the added weight, Tezuka almost lost his hold on the bike, causing it to tip precariously to one side and almost dislodging the other boy. "Keep both feet on the ground!" Echizen commanded instantly. "Otherwise we're both gonna fall. Don't start pedaling until you're absolutely ready. Is your arm okay? I'm not putting too much weight on it?"

Tezuka shook his head absently, while still trying to regain his balance on the bike. "And don't start slow, just go for it when you're ready," the freshman added.

It took a few shaky attempts and some good-natured teasing from the younger boy before they finally got on their way. More than once Tezuka wondered if he should just let Echizen borrow his bike to ride home himself, but then his desire to accompany the boy home overruled that option. He wanted to make sure Echizen got home safely.

Despite their initially slow progression, they still managed to arrive in front of Echizen's house in just a little less than 15 minutes. Echizen hopped off easily and chuckled. "Not bad, buchou. We got here in one piece."

"I didn't think we were going to for a minute there," Tezuka replied.

"Maybe I should just sleep over next time."

Tezuka stared at him blankly. "Sleep over?"

"Yeah. Then we wouldn't have to worry about falling asleep or what to tell my parents. Would your grandparents mind?"

"N-no. At least, I don't think so. I've never had anyone sleep over before but…I don't think they'll mind."

"I've never slept over at anyone's house either. It should be interesting." Echizen shot a mischievous grin at the young captain for added measure.

Though slightly embarrassed about the idea, Tezuka nevertheless looked forward to trying it out. "We probably shouldn't do it on a school night though."

Echizen nodded. "Yeah. How does next Friday sound?"

Tezuka answered with a nod of his own. "You better go in."

The other boy sighed. "Yeah."

On an impulse, Tezuka bent down and pressed a quick and rather clumsy kiss against Echizen's forehead. The freshman raised his eyebrows in response, surprised at first by the sudden gesture. A corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk, however, when he saw the chagrinned expression on the other boy's face. It was the first time they had ever done something like that out in the open, even though there was not a soul around to see. "See you tomorrow, Kuni-chan." With that, he turned and after unlocking the front gate, went inside.

A split second later, Nanjiroh's loud booming voice yelled out, "YOU DAMNED KID! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN ALL NIGHT?-! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED WE—YOUR MOTHER WAS?-!"

Tezuka ducked unconsciously while wincing. He next heard a female voice, presumably Echizen's mother, call out in a much softer voice, "Nanjiroh! Keep your voice down, you're going to wake up the neighbors!"

The elder Echizen's next words were muffled, as he apparently lowered his volume in compliance with his wife's wishes. A while later, Tezuka heard the sound of a door slide close. When he failed to hear anything else after that, he got back on his bike slowly, then paused once more to listen. Only silence greeted him. Realizing that there was little he could do but to wait until tomorrow to ask Echizen what happened, he began pedaling his way.


	8. Focus: Harbinger

**Rating: PG-13**

**Focus: Harbinger **

"Tezuka-buchou!"

At the sound of Momoshiro's startled voice, Echizen looked up from his lunch to find the person in question standing in the doorway of his homeroom. From beside him, Sakuno and Tomo echoed the greeting, while Horio stammered it out in a deafening volume, catching the attention of the other students in the room. For those who knew who the young captain was, they stopped in mid-action to gawk, mouths agape. Some had their utensils partially raised to their mouths, forgotten. Practically everyone was staring at him in undisguised interest. Some of the students in the hallway had even halted in their tracks to look. Even though it wasn't entirely rare for upperclassmen to visit the halls of the first years—in fact, a few of them, like Momoshiro, were practically a permanent fixture during lunch—what marked this as an occasion worth noting was the fact that Tezuka's reputation preceded him. For those who had heard of him, seeing _the_ legendary Tezuka Kunimitsu, senior class president and National ranking captain of the prestigious tennis club, in the flesh was indeed a sight to behold. For those who have actually seen him in action, especially during yesterday's Hyotei match, his presence was nothing short of an honor to behold, an event of monumental proportions. For those who knew nothing about him, which were very few, the senior's tall and dignified presence, not to mention his aesthetically pleasing physical attributes, was enough to convert them into instant fans on the spot. Behind him, small groups of admirers were clustered together, quietly but fervently rejoicing their good fortune at being in the right place at the right time on this very joyous day, while drinking in the sight of him with furtive glances. Those within the classroom were practically twitching in place with barely contained glee. They would've rushed together to happily squeal over him as well had they not been within his intimidating field of vision.

Even Momo was reacting, albeit for an entirely different reason. He could not believe that the captain would be so bold as to drop in on Echizen like this, in homeroom, in front of so many people. What was he _thinking_? How _obvious_ can he be? Momo was astounded. All of a sudden, he remembered Fuji's words. _We got through the Prefectural finals already, so that means_…! His fists clenched in excitement. _Tezuka-buchou's even visiting him in class now, they can't get more comfortable than _thatHe could not _wait_ to tell the others. Yes! Today had to be the day. And in a way, they really could not ask for a more perfect time since the captain most likely would be absent from afternoon practice because of his injury. That would leave just the freshman alone, at their mercy. God knows he, for one, would back out if the captain was around. _This is perfect. Perfect!_ He almost couldn't control the urge to cackle aloud in anticipation.

Unfazed by the change in his surroundings as the result of Tezuka's appearance, Echizen quirked an eyebrow and inquired indifferently, "What're you doing here, buchou?"

Tezuka hesitated, for he was all too aware of the intense focus on him. Not being a fidgety person by nature, he instead showed his discomfort by commanding authoritatively, "Echizen, come with me." Without waiting for a response, he swiftly turned away and went out the door. For a brief moment following his departure, all the freshmen remained petrified. The spell was broken, however, when Horio piped up with, "Echizen, what does Tezuka-buchou want with you?"

The room immediately erupted in animated chatter, dominated by the voices of lovestruck females.

"That's _the_ Tezuka Kunimitsu?"

"He's _gorgeous_!"

"He's so tall!"

"And so well-built!"

"Ne, did you watch the game? He was so cool!"

"He's the tennis team captain and the senior class president too, isn't he?"

"And he's in the top ten ranking in his class."

"No way! He's truly amazing!"

"Oh! I wish I could be in the boy's tennis club!"

"The girl's tennis club practices right next to them. We should join then we could watch him everyday!"

"Didn't he hurt his arm? I hope he's okay!"

"Really! He did? Oh no!"

"When? How? Poor thing!"

With a sardonic grin, Ryoma shook his head in amusement at the aftermath Tezuka left behind. Next to him, a concerned Sakuno queried, "What is it, Ryoma-kun? Did something happen?"

Before he had a chance to reply, Tomo nodded and said in a voice brimming with wisdom, "Hmm, it must be something very serious for Tezuka-buchou to come in the middle of lunch like this. Ryoma-sama, did something happen after the game yesterday?"

Echizen couldn't help coloring a little at the memory. He glanced up at the ceiling with faked nonchalance and replied as casually as possible, "Uh, nothing. I better follow him." He closed the lid on his lunchbox and got up to hurry after the senior. In his wake, one of the other girls turned to Sakuno and asked, "Ryuzaki-san, do you know where they're going?"

Horio suddenly interrupted by announcing in a booming voice, "People people, feel free to direct any of your questions to me as well. After all, as a _very_ active member of the tennis team, I do know a lot about all of the regulars, even the esteemed Captain Tezuka."

Momoshiro guffawed loudly at that. "What a load. I can tell you there is definitely ONE thing you don't know about the captain."

Tilting her head to one side, Sakuno asked curiously, "What is that, Momo-chan-senpai?"

"Yeah, what are you talking about Momo-chan-senpai?" This from Tomoka. The other students who had been crowding around Horio now swung their full attention to the second year. Suddenly faced with so many eager pairs of eyes, Momo realized his mistake. He coughed nervously and looked away with feigned innocence. "Erm, nothing, nothing. Continue with what you were saying, Horio."

One of the freshman girls spoke up, "That's right, you're one of the regulars on the team, aren't you, Momo-chan-senpai? You must be pretty close to Tezuka-senpai then!"

Another one exclaimed, "Oh! Then you must actually know something about Tezuka-senpai."

"Hey!" Horio interjected indignantly. "I do know something! I'm on the team too!"

"Yeah, but you're only the ballboy," someone else pointed out sarcastically, triggering a wave of snickers.

"I'm more than that!"

"Putting that aside," Tomo said with a roll of her eyes, "Momo-chan-senpai, what were you saying?"

Another person, this time a male student, exclaimed, "Yeah, Momo-chan-senpai, tell us about Tezuka-senpai!"

"Oh! Is it some big secret?" Someone suggested, which resulted in further heightening the level of interest in the room.

"Tell us, tell us, Momo-chan-senpai!" The first years were steadily huddling closer and closer to Momoshiro as a group, causing him to shrink back apprehensively in his seat.

"I told you, it's nothing. I don't know anything. I didn't mean anything," he cried desperately.

"Yes you did!" one of the girls charged. "You were definitely gonna say something."

"Yeah, tell us, Momo-chan-senpai! Please?"

He practically climbed up on his seat in dread as they crowded in on him. Eventually forced to the point where he had no more room to withdraw, he yelped and sprung to his feet. "Look guys, I-I-I gotta go, I was, uh, suppose to meet someone so bye!" He tried to rush out of the room but was immediately held back by the swarm of newly hatched Tezuka-fangirls, who continued to interrogate him about the young captain. Momo groaned miserably. He had actually meant to follow Tezuka and Echizen to see where they were heading but now, his plan was effectively deterred by the herd. He sighed heavily. He was dying to know what they were up to. At that moment, a wild thought popped into his head. _Oh, don't tell me, they snuck off to make out? _His mouth dropped open. _That must be it! Wow, who would've guessed that Tezuka-buchou would be such a horny guy? _ He grimaced at that; he really did not enjoy thinking of his esteemed captain in that way. In fact, the thought of seeing Tezuka and the freshman engaging in that activity again made his stomach churn. At the same time, he was now more curious than ever.

Or better yet, he should actually go find the others and report this incident. They could start planning how they were going to corner Echizen and grill him for the whole story. They had hardly spoken about the couple for the past week or so because of everyone's preoccupation with the Hyotei match.

_Damn, I really need to get out of here_, he thought frantically. Ignoring the continued onslaught of questions thrown at him, he forcibly squeezed through the mob, nudging bodies out of his way roughly. At long last, after much exertion, he succeeded in clearing the doorway. He hesitated uncertainly for a second when he spotted the receding figures of the young captain and Echizen before finally turning the other direction and rushing off to look for his fellow Regulars.

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With Momoshiro gone, everyone's attention re-focused on Horio, much to the delight of the freshman. As everybody was effectively distracted, no one noticed as Sakuno left the classroom to glance down the hall in the direction where Echizen had gone. She held her hand in a fist and pressed it against her chest as she watched the two boys in the distance. The bridge of her nose furrowed in an expression of concern as she breathed softly, "Ryoma-kun."

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In contrast to the mob scene Momoshiro had to deal with, Tezuka and Ryoma only encountered a few minor interruptions during their trek down the hall. When in his actual presence, Tezuka's admirers were strangely subdued. In fact, only a handful ventured forward to speak to him, the majority of which were male students, tennis fans offering words of respectful well-wishing and inquiries after his injury. Fewer still were female students who were brave enough talk to him, and even then, when they approached him, they usually had their heads lowered timidly so as to prevent him from seeing their blushing faces. They would mutter two or three word sentences to him in barely audible voices. However, their behavior changed drastically as soon as he walked past. The transformation began with their demeanors, which lost all traces of bashfulness, their lips stretching into huge ecstatic grins. Grabbing their nearest friend, they practically jumped up and down together in fanatical elation.

Trailing a few steps behind the taller boy, Ryoma observed all this and was deeply amused by it all. He caught up to the senior and teased, "Heeeh, buchou, I never noticed it before but you have quite a number of fans, don't you?"

The senior glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes and responded easily, "Speak for yourself, Ryoma-sama."

Ryoma twisted his lips ruefully, knowing that he was referring to Tomo. "That's still only one compared to your legions," he pointed out as he waved a hand in the direction they just came from.

"Actually, you have at least two from what I could tell."

"Eh? Who else?"

Tezuka looked at him. "Can't you guess?"

The other boy thought about it for a second before answering, "Eiji-senpai?"

The senior eyed him with incredulity. "_Why_ would you even think I'm referring to Kikumaru?"

The freshman shrugged as he folded his hands against the back of his head. "I dunno. I figured it's gotta be someone like Osakada and Eiji-senpai comes the closest."

"Oh." That did seem like a logical conclusion now that he thought about it. "But no, it's not him."

"Huh. Then I don't know who you're talking about."

Tezuka glanced at the other boy in mild surprise and thought, _He really hasn't noticed. She'll be sorely disappointed if she ever found that out._

"Na, so where are we going?" Echizen asked suddenly.

The older boy pursed his lips uncertainly in response. He hadn't really thought about where they were going to go when he told the younger boy to follow him. His main objective had just been to get away from all those prying eyes. Where would be a good place for them to talk without being interrupted?

Noticing the senior's hesitance, Echizen suggested, "Why don't we go up on the roof? I go there sometimes during lunch."

"Will there be anyone else around?" Tezuka questioned in return.

"There usually isn't. Why? What were you planning to do up there?" he teased while smirking mischievously up at the older boy.

Tezuka shot a wry look back at him. "Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit."

"That's all? Hmmph, how boring. I'm going back to finish my lunch then."

When the freshman started to turn away, Tezuka said his name in a warning tone to stop him. Grinning, Echizen turned back and stated softly so that no one else could hear, "Just kidding, Kuni-chan."

Fortunately for them, when they got up to the roof, there was no one around. Even though it was a great spot for people to have lunch or hang-out since it was outdoors and usually cooler this high up, Echizen found that for the most part, the roof was usually deserted as most students opted to eat their lunches in their homerooms or in the cafeteria with everyone else. Therefore, it was an ideal location for taking a mid-afternoon nap. He usually tried to come up here a few times a week to do just that whenever he was able to escape from Horio and the others.

They chose to sit against the wall by the door, so that in case anyone did decide to come up to the roof, they would not be seen immediately. Even though Tezuka had only intended to talk, they both came to the unconscious decision that it was probably best to play it safe. They also sat quite close to each other for that reason, so that they could converse in a low volume. Of course, an unforeseen side effect to that arrangement was that Tezuka soon found himself deeply distracted by the proximity of the freshman. In particular, he became mesmerized by the details of Echizen's facial features: the porcelain smoothness of his forehead, the long length of his eyelashes, the alluring quality of his large eyes, the graceful slope of his nose, and the tempting shape of his lips. He didn't even realize he was staring until Echizen nudged him a few times in the arm with his elbow, demanding, "Hey, hey, are you listening?"

Tezuka swallowed. "What?" he questioned dumbly.

"I said, what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh. Uhn." He cleared his throat while forcing himself to look away. "Sorry. I was…I just wanted to ask you what happened after you went home last night. I tried calling you on your cellphone this morning before school, but you didn't pick up."

"I forgot to re-charge and I'm grounded."

Tezuka blinked. "What?"

"I'm grounded."

"That's…awful, isn't it?" Tezuka was bit puzzled by the younger boy's nonchalant attitude. "That means you're in trouble, doesn't it?"

Ryoma shrugged. "I guess so, but it's really not that bad. It just means I have to go straight home after practice for a while."

"Isn't that bad enough? That means we…you won't be able to come over anymore."

"It's not forever. Just for a while." He chuckled at the expression on Tezuka's face. "But I'm glad you're disappointed."

The young captain frowned. "Be serious. How long are you grounded?"

"Who knows. I guess it depends."

"It depends? On what?"

"On whether or not the old man believes me." Off the confused look on the other boy's face, Echizen exhaled in a puff of air and explained, "See, the old man thinks I was out with a girl. That I've been secretly dating a girl all this time."

Startled, Tezuka's eyes widened. "Why would he think that?"

"I've told you before, he's insane."

"Yes, but didn't you tell him you were with me?"

"Of course I did. I told him I was at your house the whole time but he wouldn't believe me. He doesn't believe I've ever been to your house, especially not for tutoring since I'm not that stupid. He thinks I'm just using you as an excuse."

Echizen rolled his eyes, remembering the crazy accusations his dad had made. Last night had been very irritating indeed, what with his dad lecturing him about the pitfalls of having sex at such a young age and on teenage pregnancy. _"Do you know how easy it is to get a girl knocked up, you damned brat? Are even using protection? You're only 13 for crying out loud, how the hell do you plan on supporting a kid at this age?" _was Nanjiroh's exact words. His mother and cousin had tried to step in since even they thought the elder Echizen was being a bit extreme, but Nanjiroh had been adamant about making his point. Of course, at the time, Ryoma had been rightfully indignant and annoyed by his dad's ridiculous assumptions, but now that he was recounting the old man's words in broad daylight to Tezuka, who was beginning to look a little green in the face, he couldn't help finding the humor in the situation.

"How can you even laugh at this?" Tezuka asked incredulously. He was in fact feeling rather lightheaded; in fact, his stomach felt as if it had shriveled in on itself and his heart felt as if it was soon to explode.

"Why can't I? I know him, just because he says stupid things like that doesn't mean he's really serious."

"He thinks you're going to get someone pregnant. That sounds pretty serious to me," Tezuka pointed out.

Echizen waved his hand dismissively. "That's because he's an old pervert. That's all he thinks about every single moment of every single day. He even said that…" he paused and snorted, "That I smelled like sex when I came home last night."

"I didn't think you smelled."

"He's just being ridiculous. Sometimes I don't know how my mom puts up with him."

Tezuka leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "This is worse than I thought," he muttered weakly. Suddenly feeling the need to do something that would help calm his nerves, he took off his glasses carefully and began to wipe them slowly and methodically with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket.

"No, it gets worse. He thinks I've been dating Ryuzaki's granddaughter."

Tezuka started. "Ryuzaki Sakuno? That's…._"_ Tezuka paused. That was actually a rather reasonable conjecture, considering how obvious the girl was in terms of her feelings for Echizen. Of course, it was rather ironic that everyone else noticed, even Echizen's father, but the one person who should have noticed. "…strange," he finished lamely. "Why would he think that?"

"Old lady Ryuzaki asked me to take her to Haritatsu once and somehow he found about it. Since then, he would just not let up about it, even though I told him it was not a date. I thought he was just joking all this time, but I think he finally convinced himself that it's true. He even threatened to tell the old lady that I've been fooling around with her granddaughter unless I brought her home for dinner to meet him and mom."

At loss for words, the senior could only shake his head. "What are you going to do? Should I do something?"

"Yeah, you could come over for dinner."

Slipping his glasses back on, the older boy turned to Echizen with a serious look on his face. "So you want me to tell your dad that we've been…?"

Eyes widening, the freshman immediately shook his head and said, "No. Absolutely not. I'll never, ever hear the end of it and neither will you."

"Then, how is that going to help our situation?"

"The old man won't believe me but he'll believe you when you tell him, in person, that I've been hanging out with you all this time. Tell him you have been tutoring me. We do homework together, so that's not really a lie. He doesn't think you would lie to cover me. According to him, you look too uptight to even know what the word means." Echizen smiled at that. "That's actually kind of funny."

Tezuka frowned. "Why would he even think that? We've never even met."

"I think he was at the Yamabuki match, even though he wouldn't admit it. It doesn't matter, you'll have plenty of time to get acquainted with him when you come over, unfortunately."

Taking a deep breath, the senior nodded and then said, "When do you want me to come over?"

"I told him tomorrow night." Echizen glanced at Tezuka, who was staring straight ahead as if in great concentration. The bridge of his nose was slightly furrowed. With a small grin, Echizen bumped the other boy's chin gently with the top of his head to get his attention. "Don't worry, the old man's not that hard to handle, once you get past his big mouth. Plus, my mom knows how to keep him in check."

Tezuka sighed and nodded again, then brought his arm up to circle around the younger boy's shoulder. Echizen was slightly surprised by the gesture, as it was quite rare for the senior to initiate physical contact, but instead of commenting on it, he simply leaned into the loose embrace, his head falling lazily against the other boy's shoulder.

"Gomen," Tezuka intoned apologetically.

"For what?"

"I should have set the alarm. I didn't think I'd fall asleep too."

"Yeah, I didn't even remember when I fell asleep the second time. It was worth it though." Echizen shot a pointed look at Tezuka, whose face heated up a bit at the memory of what they had been doing before they fell asleep. "I hope we didn't wake up your grandparents when we left the house though," the freshman was saying.

"No, but I bumped into my grandfather when I got back. He was just coming out of the bathroom."

Echizen winced. "Was he upset?"

"No. He was just surprised. I told him I just came back from walking you home. He didn't seem concerned."

"That's good." Echizen was genuinely relieved. Having been around his dad his entire life, he was accustomed to the man's infuriating ways, from his immature jokes about sex to his aggravating lectures on that subject; therefore, even though he didn't want his dad to find out about him and Tezuka, deep down, he also knew, that if worse comes to worse and Nanjiroh did find out about them, they would probably have little to worry about. At most, his father would just be more obnoxious than he already was. They had even less to worry about when it came to his mother, who was a thousand times more level-headed than her husband. With Tezuka's grandparents, however, because they fell into the category of unknown—they could easily react strongly or not react at all—Ryoma decided that if possible, he would rather the two elderly Tezukas be kept in the dark forever. Though he was never one to shy away from a blindsided challenge, in this case, he would definitely back down and avoid the situation than to face it head on. On some level, Echizen recognized that this somewhat partially attributed to his concern for Tezuka, as the senior obviously held his grandparents' regard in the highest esteem, and he was fine with it. Even though he didn't normally act out of consideration for others—his main concern was usually what needed to be done—he found that it wasn't too bad to be making a decision based on someone else's feelings. In fact, he was rather pleased by it.

After a moment, Tezuka glanced at his watch and said regretfully, "I think we should be getting back. You still haven't finished your lunch."

"Mmm, it's nice up here," he murmured leisurely.

"It is," Tezuka agreed. "I wish…I wish we could come up here for lunch…everyday, but…," he sighed. "That would probably be pushing our luck. The others are probably wondering right now about where we've gone. They might come looking for us."

Echizen made an annoyed noise. "Probably. How did you get away from Fuji-senpai and the others? Don't you usually have lunch with them?"

"Not always, since we're not in the same homeroom. But I do have lunch with Fuji more often than the others, since we're both on the student body and we sometimes have meetings during lunch. Inui is usually at the library during lunch to research his recipes." Echizen shivered in repulsion at that. Tezuka continued, "I rarely see Oishi and the others, since Kikumaru usually forces them to go 'club-crashing' during lunch." At the puzzled look on Echizen's face, Tezuka explained, "Kikumaru likes showing up at meetings of clubs he doesn't belong to just to make sure he is not missing out on anything."

"Why doesn't he just join them?'

"I don't think he could decide which one to join so he just tries them all out."

"Oh. I guess that sounds like Eiji-senpai."

Tezuka hesitated before his next words. "Echizen, I think Fuji knows about us. Or at least, he senses something is going on. I don't know if he knows you're involved, but I think he suspects something about me in the very least."

"Eh? What makes you think that?"

Frowning, Tezuka could only reply, "I can't really put my finger on it, but suffice it to say, I know Fuji well enough to know that I'm not being paranoid."

"Has he been asking you questions?"

"If anything else, I would say it's fact that he _hasn't_ been asking me any questions. For example, I was having lunch with him today, but when I said I had to go see someone, he did not ask me who it was. That's…very uncharacteristic of him."

"I never pegged Fuji-senpai as the nosey type."

"He isn't nosey, but he is inquisitive when I'm concerned, therefore it's very rare for him to not at least wonder whom I'm going to see. Not to mention, he's also a very intuitive and observant person. Perhaps I've been acting differently without my even knowing it."

Echizen thought about that. Had they been acting differently around each other? As far as he knew, he wasn't. He didn't think there was anything strange about Tezuka's behavior either when they were in front of others. They even retained the way they referred to each other; in fact, it had become second nature to him to revert back to calling Tezuka "captain" when they were in public. "Do you think Fuji-senpai will come straight out and ask you?"

"I don't think so. He wouldn't need to. Fuji doesn't work that way. He usually forms a hypothesis on his own and then quietly finds a way to prove it so that by the time he mentions it out loud, it's already an established fact."

After thinking about it for a second, the freshman finally shrugged and said, "I guess it can't be helped then. At least Fuji-senpai isn't the gossipy type. It could be worse. Imagine if it were Eiji-senpai or even Inui-senpai who found out. The whole school would know then."

Nodding, the older boy agreed. "To be honest, of all the people we know, I would be the least worried if Fuji or Oishi were the ones to know about us. The same goes for Kawamura."

Ryoma straightened up suddenly; the mention of the other senior reminded him of something. "Hey, how's your arm?" he queried while tilting his head in the direction of Tezuka's left arm.

The senior's hand automatically went up to touch the limb in question as he answered rather haltingly, "I definitely feel it today more than yesterday. I think the effects of the shot have worn off and the painkillers aren't as strong."

"It's a good thing you didn't come to morning practice then. You should probably skip afternoon practice as well."

"I hardly have a choice in the matter; Ryuzaki-sensei told me not to come. In fact, after she spoke to my doctor this morning, she insisted that I not attend practice for the rest of this week. We also started discussing physical therapy options." Tezuka inhaled deeply, expressing his frustration with his condition by forcefully expelling his breath. "It will probably be a while before I could make it to practice."

"If that's how it's going to be, then that's how it's going to be. You won't be much use to us anyway if you can't use your arm," Ryoma stated bluntly, but he took the sting out of what he said by his matter-of-fact tone and by his next words, "Listen to the old lady and the doctor and just concentrate on getting better. Do whatever it takes. We need you for the Nationals, captain."

"It's not just practice I'll be missing. There's a good chance I might have to miss some of the Regionals matches."

Echizen's eyes widened slightly in astonishment at the admission, and he fell silent for a brief moment. "It had to be done, right?" Echizen finally said, in a soft voice. "You were the one who said that."

"I know. I don't regret it. I'm just…." Tezuka took a deep breath, unsure of how to finish that. He really didn't regret his decision yesterday, but now, in its aftermath, he couldn't help feeling disappointed at the period of convalescence he would be going through as a result.

"Look, just do what you have to do. You'll recover by the Nationals," Echizen stated confidently. "And by the time you recover, I'll beat you, fair and square, even without your handicap."

"Are you saying you have been losing to me all this time out of consideration for my injury? Especially when you didn't even know about it when we first played at the Haruno courts?" Tezuka teased.

Echizen twisted his lips in a sour expression. "Gloat all you want now, one day, I will beat you," he retorted with a cocky glint in his eyes.

"I look forward to that day's arrival. If it ever does."

"Che," Echizen scoffed, disgruntled. He jumped up on his feet and announced, "I'm going back to finish my lunch." He then paused and asked, "So are you going straight home after school since you don't have to go to practice?"

Nodding, Tezuka stood up as well and answered, "I guess I have no choice, especially since you're grounded." He realized then that this would be the first time he would be walking home alone, without Echizen to accompany him, in close to a month.

"Just for now. That might change after tomorrow night, once I show the old fart I wasn't lying. Come over by 7 tomorrow, okay?"

"Hai, Ryoma-sama," Tezuka replied playfully. The other boy shot him a mildly annoyed look and was about to turn away to leave when Tezuka stopped him by grabbing his hand. Giving into the urge he had been holding back since they first got up here, the senior bent down and planted a firm but long kiss on the freshman's lips. When he finally pulled away, Ryoma chided him in a husky voice, "I thought you said we weren't gonna do anything up here."

"That wasn't anything," Tezuka responded in an equally hoarse tone, his face so close that they were practically sharing one breath, "That was just a kiss."

"Mmm, then do it again, and take off your glasses this time."

"Yes, Ryoma-sama," Tezuka breathed, and he did as told, not stopping until they were finally interrupted by the sound of the bell, signaling the end of the lunch period.


	9. Focus: Let's Make a Deal

**Rating: PG-13**

**Focus: Let's Make a Deal**

"Echizen, may I speak to you for a moment?"

The freshman turned and found Fuji standing behind him, his lips stretched in his ever-present smile. "What is it, Fuji-senpai?" he inquired.

They had just finished practice and various members of the team were either coming out from the showers or in the process of packing their gear to go home. Echizen was just zipping up his bag when the senior approached him. "Why don't we walk out together?" the older boy replied pleasantly.

"Sure."

Echizen followed Fuji out of the lockers room. "What did you want to talk to me about, Fuji-senpai?" he asked as they were walking. They were by the fountains behind the lockers room building when Fuji stopped and turned around to face him with an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, Echizen," the senior said. Just as Echizen wondered what the other boy meant, he felt the sudden heavy presence behind him, and upon turning, found himself coming face to face with the other six Regulars, four of whom had rather threatening looks on their face. Kawamura and Oishi were the only two who looked mildly embarrassed.

"Did you want something, senpai-tachi?" Echizen asked easily.

"Do we want something, he says," Momoshiro snickered. "Can't you even guess why we're here today, Echizen?"

"No."

"Hmmph! You can't fool us! You know very well we're here about you and Tezuka-buchou!"

A quick blink was the only indication of Echizen's surprise. So they all knew; this was definitely something unexpected. Instead of answering the question, however, the freshman simply shrugged and replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Quit acting all innocent," Eiji charged while narrowing his eyes at him. "We all know already, Ochibi."

Echizen returned the look coolly. "Know what?"

"Hey! Senpai-tachi! What're you all doing there with Echizen?" All of them turned at the sound of Horio's voice behind them. The freshman was standing there along with Kachiro and Kashiro, who were looking curiously at how the seven upperclassman Regulars were practically surrounding the diminutive Echizen.

"May I suggest we take this to somewhere else better suited for our purpose? We might draw more attention by standing here," Inui said.

"Where do you think we should go, Inui?" Kikumaru asked.

"Oh, I know," Momoshiro said with a gleam in his eyes, "How about McDonald's?"

With a wide grin, Eiji exclaimed, "That's a great idea, Momo!"

"I don't wanna go," Echizen stated flatly as he turned to leave, but was instantly held in place by Momo and Eiji, who each grabbed one of his arms. In response, he began turning this way and that in an attempt to wriggle out of their grasps.

"Now now, Echizen," Momo warned in a low voice right by the freshman's ear, "Don't make a scene, unless you want Horio to know too." Echizen ceased his struggles immediately and glared at the second year.

Kikumaru bared his teeth in a wicked grin. "Hee hee. That's right that's right. Behave or you'll be sorry. We just want a little talk with you, no big deal." He then turned and shouted to the three freshmen who were still standing there staring at them. "'Regulars' business, guys, don't mind us. Hurry along now! See you at practice tomorrow morning!"

The seven Regulars headed off, forcibly dragging Ryoma along. Once they were out of earshot, Horio turned to his two companions with a contemptuous snort. "'Regulars' business'. Che! Big deal! Not like I really care." Of course, despite his nonchalant attitude and tone, both his classmates could tell that Horio was in reality offended at being left out of the loop. Instead of commenting on it, however, Kachiro instead said thoughtfully, "Though it didn't seem like Ryoma-kun was all too thrilled about going along with them, did it?"

Kashiro added, "He looked like he was trying to get away."

Horio folded his arms across his chest and sniffed. "Hmmph, I bet the senpais are planning to punish him for his bad attitude yesterday. Serves him right! Even with two years of tennis experience I've _never_ even thought about being the bench coach. Who does he think he is?"

"But he did end up winning the tournament for Seigaku," Kachiro reminded him.

"Just the same! A lowerclassman must always know his place! That's probably why Tezuka-buchou came to pull him out of lunch today. Ah! That must be it! That must be why he refused to say anything when he come back to class at the end of lunch!"

Kashiro scratched his head. "Tezuka-buchou came to see Ryoma-kun today?"

"Yep. You two missed it! He caused quite a stir by just popping up like that."

Kashiro was about to ask something else but Horio interrupted him by continuing while nodding his head in certainty, "That's it that's it. That must be why. And now, it's the other senpais' turn to give him a firm talking down to!" He started chortling. "It's about time! I hope the senpai-tachi give him a really hard time!"

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"Eeechizeeeen! Come on, stop being such a braaat!" Momo whined. "Answer us!"

The group of Regulars, minus Tezuka of course, was presently sitting in a booth at McDonald's, the seven upperclassmen flanked Echizen who was seated in the middle. To his right were Oishi, Eiji, Kawamura, and Kaidoh and to his left were Fuji, Inui, and Momoshiro. The freshman was the only one with a tray of food before him, and he was currently shoveling fries in his mouth while staring expressionlessly at the second year, who was practically boiling over with irritation. "Look, you _made_ me buy dinner for you so now the least you could do is answer our questions. ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS!" Momo yelled.

"Don't wanna," was all that they got from Echizen for the past ten minutes.

"You little…." Momo reached across the table toward the freshman but was held back by Inui.

"Don't mind Momoshiro, Echizen," Fuji intoned in a calm and reasonable voice, "He's just anxious like the rest about because we're very curious about the two of you. It's not that we mean to pry, but you have to understand where we're coming from. You see, most of us have known Tezuka for years and this is a side of him we never expected to see. Naturally, as a result, we just have a few questions we hope you could provide the answer to."

"That's right that's right, like, for example, when did you guys first start dating, and who made the first move, and where did you go on your first date, and how far have you guys gone …."

"Eiji!" Oishi interrupted his friend in alarm.

Ignoring the outburst from Kikumaru, Echizen turned to fix Fuji with a rather deliberate stare. "So is that why you lured me out on false pretenses? Just so I can be interrogated by all the senpais?"

Fuji flashed a sincerely regretful smile. "It was a rather underhanded set-up, I must admit, but I owed them that much. They wanted to confront you even before that."

"And we thought you, of all people, would keep your lips sealed," Echizen muttered.

Momo pointed at him and exclaimed, "A-ha! So you do admit there's a 'we'!"

"You dumbass, we've already known that since the beginning," Kaidoh grumbled.

"Hey, you stupid viper, I don't see you helping out here! You've just been sitting there while I've had to do all the talking!"

"Who you calling stupid, you asshole?"

"You see another stupid ass in the room?"

"I'm looking at one right now!"

Before the two rivals could act on the murderous looks they were giving each other, Inui cut through the tension with, "Uh, guys, may we re-focus ourselves a little? You're wandering off from the main topic."

Oishi nodded. "That's right, pipe down you two. Echizen, on Fuji's behalf, I have to say that he didn't mean to lie to you. We practically forced him into it."

"That's cuz Fuji-senpai's the only person who could pull off a lie with a straight face," Momo supplied helpfully.

"Thank you, Momo, I'm flattered," Fuji answered. "And I'm frankly pleased to hear that you and Tezuka put such trust in me, Echizen. I could assure you that if I were the one who discovered the truth about you and Tezuka, I would have definitely kept it a secret for you."

"Fuji!" Eiji cried, startled. "Really?"

"Of course," his friend replied without hesitation. "That's just my nature. But as it was, I wasn't the person who found out about you two."

"Geez, Fuji-senpai, now you're making _me_ sound like a big mouth," Momoshiro groused with a frown.

"On the contrary, Momo, I would say it's your sense of camaraderie that motivated you to share the information with the rest of us. If you were really a gossip-monger, everybody on the team, not to mention everybody in the school, would have known by now. You've had plenty of opportunity to spread the news, after all."

Momo shifted uncomfortably under such praise. "I never planned to tell anybody else," he muttered almost shyly.

But Echizen was unimpressed. Forgetting that he was still playing the denial game, he directed his attention to the second year and asked suspiciously, "How _did_ you find out, Momo-senpai?"

Coloring slightly, Momoshiro found himself heming and hawing under such an interrogating gaze. "Uh, that is, I, uh, saw, erm, you and the captain…." He trailed off, incapable of completing the sentence.

"You _saw_? You were _spying_ on us?" The younger boy's voice had an almost dangerous edge to it.

Momo's instant response was a resounding, "No! Of course not!" When he realized that wasn't exactly true, he amended it with, "That is, that wasn't my original intention. I mean, I didn't think that you guys were…okay, look, when Tachibana's sister told me she thought you two were dating, I absolutely didn't believe her at first. So when I followed you, I only did it to disprove her. I totally didn't expect to…well, I totally wasn't expecting what I saw."

"Then you do admit to following me."

"I had to! I did it to defend your honor!"

"Hmmph, how noble of you. And then you proceeded to tell everyone about what you saw."

"That, that was…I didn't know what to do! Think of it this way, what if, one day you were to see, I dunno, Oishi-senpai and Kashiro making out…."

"Hey!" Oishi protested right away, annoyed that he was being used as an example. Beside him, Eiji snorted loudly and started laughing at the image, which only served to deepen the scowl on his friend's face.

"I said what if, Oishi-senpai. It was just an example."

"Use someone else!"

"Anyway, what if you saw that? You're telling me you would just keep it to yourself?"

"Of course," Echizen answered without batting an eye.

"Liar! I know you; you would've told me right away about what you saw."

"Not anymore," the freshman retorted with a slight scoff.

Momoshiro opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by Kikumaru, who, impatient with the lack of progress, threw his hands up in the air and complained, "Mou! Why does any of this even matter?-! Momo, just say you're sorry for spying on him, and let's get on with it! You're wasting time!"

"But I wasn't spying! It's not spying when the end result is unknown! _You_ guys have been spying on them, not me!"

"What?" Echizen demanded, turning his piercing gaze on the others now.

"But we didn't see anything!" Eiji argued. "You and Inui were the only ones who got to see anything. We just saw you and Tezuka eating together. Big deal."

His cheeks reddening a little at being exposed, Inui cleared his throat and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Erm, it was just for the sake of research," he explained weakly.

"Let's just say with the exception of Taka-san, we are all guilty of spying and owe you and Tezuka an apology for invading your privacy," Fuji offered.

"It's not that I didn't want to go though," Kawamura pointed out rather diffidently, "I just couldn't because I had to go help out at my dad's restaurant after practice."

Echizen took a deep measured breath and then said grumpily, "Since all of you already know everything, what do you need me here for?"

"But we don't know anything!" Kikumaru immediately cried. Oishi placed a calming hand on his friend's arm and said in a more placating voice, "We really only know that you and Tezuka have been seeing each other, and that you two frequent McDonald's. Oh, and the, uh, park thing. That's about it."

"Isn't that enough?"

"Of course not! Details! We want details!" Eiji exclaimed, his excitement rising again.

"How about this," Fuji suggested calmly, "let us ask 10 questions. Ten questions and then we won't ask you about it anymore."

"Only 10, Fuji-senpai?-!" Momo asked.

Eiji nodded ardently. "That's right, Fuji! That's not enough! We should each get 10!"

Fuji shrugged. "I think that is all we could really ask for. Ultimately, it is up to Echizen and Tezuka to decide what they want us to know."

"By the way, should we give Tezuka a call as well? This does kind of concern him as well?" Kawamura's proposal was greeted with an immediate reaction by Oishi, Eiji, Kaidoh, and Momoshiro, all of whom answered with a firm "Absolutely not!". Takashi drew back in astonishment at the vehemence of their reply.

"The captain makes me nervous," Momo explained contritely. Kaidoh nodded in agreement.

"Not to mention, he's even worse than Ochibi when it comes to being tight-lipped. He won't be of any use," Eiji added.

"What makes you think I'm not the same?" Echizen challenged.

"You don't carry the same responsibilities as Tezuka does," was Fuji's answer. He was watching the freshman closely.

"Maybe I won't say anything because it's none of your business." Though he was looking at Fuji when he said the words, they were meant for the rest of the group.

"That is true. At the same time, it's really not that big of a deal for you to just provide us with a few morsels of information, is it? I mean, we already know the most significant part of the story. Everything else is just…bonus material. Where's the harm in letting us know? Don't you think it'd be better to just demystify the mystery for us? Unless, of course, you're somehow ashamed of your relationship with Tezuka."

The freshman raised his eyebrows at that. "Why would I be ashamed?"

"I don't know. That's the only reason I could think of for being secretive. You've never been one to care about what others think, so is there another reason?"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes at the senior and then smirked. "You're good, Fuji-senpai." He then expelled a breath of exasperation and leaned back against the seat of the booth. "10 questions, huh? How can you guarantee that I won't get harassed by more later on?"

"I can't. But you could easily deflect any questions later on, right? What I'm asking for is a deal. Give us at least 10 definite answers."

"Since you can't promise my peace of mind later on, why should I take you up on the deal?"

"What do you want in return?"

Echizen thought about it as he finished his burger. Finally, he said, "First off, no part of today's conversation leaves this table."

"That goes without saying," the tensai rejoined with, "Tezuka is our captain after all; we're just as concerned about his image as anyone else. Not to mention, both of you are our friends and teammates. We're just as protective of your privacy as the two of you are. Right, everyone?" The rest of the group nodded their heads unanimously.

"I don't even want Tezuka to know we had this conversation today; it's hard enough even looking him in the eye as it is," Oishi admitted.

"Therefore," Fuji continued, "this information will only be used to satisfy our own curiosity." Again six heads nodded in uniform agreement.

Satisfied, Echizen presented the next condition, "Second, as an extension of the first condition, you can't make any weird remarks about us when other people are around."

"That makes sense. If we are to keep to the first condition, we will have to hold our tongues in check when in the presence of others."

"Hey, but what about when there's no one around?" Eiji questioned, his eyes large with worry.

Echizen lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug. "I specifically said when other people are around, didn't I?"

"Wow, really, Echizen? So you don't care what we say when we're alone? Speak now or forever hold your peace, kid," Momoshiro warned. "Then again, even if that was one of the conditions, I can tell you right now I don't know if I can uphold that part of the bargain."

"Don't worry, I know it'd be virtually impossible to ask you to fight against that weakness in your character. I'm not without mercy."

"Hey!" his senpai frowned, offended at the jab.

"Anyway, I can handle myself. I'm not afraid of you guys." He backed up his words with a look of confidence. "Alright, third condition, you senpais have to treat me to sushi at Kawamura-senpai's place for the entire month."

"The entire month?-!" Momo shouted. "I don't have that much money!"

"Me neither!" Kaidoh said.

"Neither do I!" This from Eiji.

"Uh, I could give you guys discounts," Kawamura volunteered hesitantly.

Fuji chuckled. "How about 10 meals? 10 meals for 10 questions."

"Hmmm…," Echizen thought about it. "How about 20?"

"20?-! Echizen! Be reasonable!" Momo gasped.

"12," Fuji counter-offered.

"18."

"15."

"Deal!" The freshman's smirk widened. He was especially satisfied by the pained expression on most of his senpais' faces.

"Anything else?" Fuji asked courteously.

"Also, lunch for the rest of the month. I don't care if it's home-made or purchased from the cafeteria."

"Aw come on!" Momo exclaimed incredulously.

"That's going too far, you shitty brat," Kaidoh groused.

Echizen shrugged again. "_You_ are the ones wanted to know about _my_ relationship with Tezuka. It's up to you whether or not it's worth the price you have to pay."

"So aren't you sort of selling out your relationship, for the sake of a few material gains?" Oishi stated dubiously.

"See it however you want. Again, the choice is yours."

"That's like blackmail!" Momo cried. "Echizen, that's very uncute, you know."

"If you don't think it's worth it, don't comply with the conditions. Simple as that. Plus, I could've easily said for the rest of the year. Shouldn't you be grateful that I set a reasonable timeframe, Momo-senpai?"

Momo opened his mouth but then snapped it shut in the next instant, at loss for words. He looked at the others helplessly.

Inui was staring pensively into the distance as he calculated out loud, "There's about three weeks left in this month, which is 18 days. An average meal in the cafeteria costs around 600 – 700 yen, so if we were to round it up, that's at most 100 yen per person per day, and over three weeks will be about 1800 yen total. That's actually not that bad, I guess. Can we at least set the price limit at 700 yen per meal, Echizen?"

With a sigh, the freshman answered grudgingly, "Fine."

"How about the sushi meals? We need to set a price limit on those!"

"If you just treat me without eating, it'd be cheaper, wouldn't it?" Echizen proposed with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"You could get a sashimi bowl for about 1500 yen," Kawamura informed them. "That is, if Echizen agrees to order just that."

"How about we set the price limit for sushi to 1750 yen per meal?" suggested Oishi.

"1750 yen per meal comes out to 250 yen per person, and with 15 meals, that will be 3750 yen," Inui supplied. "So the total money we will have to expend for this information will come out to be roughly 5550 yen per person."

"God!" Momo breathed. "That's a lot!"

"Could we at least spread the 15 sushi meals out over the rest of the school year, so it wouldn't seem as bad?" Kikumaru asked.

Exasperated, Echizen sighed and replied, "Fine. Whatever."

"Then we all agreed?" Everyone nodded at Fuji's question.

"But, please, that's it, okay? I don't think I could handle any more conditions," Momo whined.

Echizen thought about it for another moment, during which Momo's head felt like it was about to explode. Finally, throwing his hands behind him to fold them against the back of his head, he announced, "That's it." The two second years along with Oishi and Eiji all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, we can ask the questions now?" Fuji questioned.

Echizen lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Oh!" Eiji gasped in anticipation. The ordeal of the bargaining forgotten, both Kaidoh and Momo leaned forward excitedly.

Fuji smiled. "I propose that we each ask one question first. That would make up seven. And then from there, we can decide what the final three questions should be, based on what topics we might have missed, how is that?"

His teammates all nodded eagerly. "Who would like to go first?" was the tensai's next question.

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This Author's Note was originally posted between Chap 8 and 9 until a very, very nice person alerted me to the fact that this site does not allow that. Therefore, here it is instead, in most of its glory:

**Author's Note (3/14/05): **Happy White Day, all! First off, I wanted to apologize to quite a many of you for the delay in getting chapter 9 posted. I finally got around to re-watching like the first half of the anime (around 75 episodes). I've been meaning to do that for some time, but I never had the time until recently. After watching the eps, I decided to re-edit all of my chapters to correct various errors (oh my God, may I say I was thoroughly ashamed that I got Kawamura's name wrong? Someone pointed it out to me, but I hadn't realized that I had it consistently wrong throughout ALL of the chapters. What the heck was that all about? I think I just combined his first and last name together. Either way, I deserve to be beaten to a bloody pulp by him in burning mode). I also made some changes to the previous chapters for other different reasons. They're noticeable, but the core story remains the same.

It's my personal preference to try to have as much overlap with the anime's "reality" as possible. Having said that, however, there will definitely be times when I will just have to purposely wander away from canon, for the sake of the story and the relationship, so I hope that doesn't cause anyone too much pain. I also want to add that I am going to spell that bowl-haired freshman's name as Kachiro because the anime seems to consistently spell it that way. And the way Horio and others pronounce it makes me think it's Kachiro too. I've seen it spelled that way and as "Katsuo" in different places, but since I'm basing the story on what I know from the anime anyway, I'm just going to go with Kachiro. The other kid's name is Kashiro, as far as I can tell, but his name was only mentioned like once or twice in all of the first 75 episodes. Can you believe it? And that was at the way beginning when they introduced themselves! Poor guy.

Also, I had to share this with y'all because it caused me much mirth: I never even noticed this when I first watched the show but did you know Eiji's voice was actually much more masculine at the beginning of the series? I'm pretty sure it was the same seiyuu but he sounded markedly different. By the 9th episode, however, they finally gave up and decided to gay him up, and the Eiji that we know and love today was born. Anyway, at the first sound of his early voice, I cracked up so bad I almost cried. As Sammy-chan so aptly put it, it was as if Eiji went in the reverse direction voice-wise after he hit puberty. Hee!

Anyway, much love-filled apologies for the wait, hope it is worth it. )


	10. Focus: Q & A

**Rating: PG-13**

**Focus: Q & A**

"Who would like to go first?"

Eiji's hand was the first to shoot up, but then he retracted it almost a second later. With a curious smile Fuji cocked his head to one side and asked, "Did you want to go first, Eiji?"

The other boy chewed on one of his fingers in an expression of uncertainty. "Eiji, go," Oishi urged while giving his partner a slight nudge.

"I changed my mind. Oishi, you go first."

"Eh? Why do I have to go first? Why'd you change your mind? I thought you were dying to ask your question."

"But I only get one! What if one of you were planning on asking the same thing? Then I would've wasted mine."

His tennis partner's face scrunched up in disbelief. "Hah? Why is it a waste? If you asked what someone was planning to ask, then they could ask something else. The information is still valid."

"Or what if, what if I end up thinking of something better after hearing someone else's question?"

"Eiji, you're being ridiculous."

"I don't care! I don't wanna be first and that's the end of that!"

Oishi rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned to the others to say, "Alright, then who's next?"

The Regulars simply looked at one another, all of them reluctant to go first. "Fuji, what about you?" Eiji suggested.

"Mmm, I'd rather be the last, if you guys don't mind."

"How 'bout you, Momo?"

The second year jerked in surprise. "Me? No, I don't wanna go first either!"

"If senpai-tachi can't think of anything to ask, can I go home then?" Echizen intoned.

Almost all of his teammates answered firmly in the negative. Finally Inui recommended, "Why don't we just go around the table, starting with Kaidoh?"

"Why me? Why can't we start with that guy?" he asked while nodding in the direction of Momo, who immediately sat up and shot back angrily, "Didn't you hear what I just said, viper? Are you deaf or something?"

"You piece of—"

"Ah, why don't we decide which side to start from by flipping a coin?" Inui interjected smartly as he reached into his pocket for one. He spun the yen on the table and then placed his hand over it. "One of you choose, top or bottom."

"Top!" Both second years replied at the same time. They glared at each other maliciously and then paused and shouted, "Top!" again.

Seething with irritation, Momo claimed, "You damned viper, I called top first!"

"Fucking idiot, I've always called top!" was the other boy's equally livid reply.

"Bullshit! Since when? _I'm _the one who's always called top!"

"I'm top!"

"I am!"

"I AM!"

"I—" They suddenly stopped at the sound of Echizen's laughter. Directing their furious gaze at the freshman, both of them demanded simultaneously, "What's so damned funny?"

"You two sound like a quarreling couple," the younger boy replied in between chuckles.

"What?-!" The two second year had identical looks of incredulity.

"They sort of do, don't they," Fuji agreed with a mischievous smile.

"Like two sides of the same coin."

"Ying and yang. Opposite sides fitting perfectly together."

Faces twisted in disgust, they transferred their stares back and forth between Echizen and Fuji, to finally each other; as soon as their eyes met, they jerked back violently and then looked to the side in sulking silence, their cheeks coloring from both embarrassment and the remnants of their aborted rage. "That's…gross, Fuji-senpai," Momo muttered sickly.

Oishi sighed. "At least that shut them up."

"Oishi, why don't you call it for them," Inui said, "If you guess right, we'll start on my side."

"Sounds good. I call bottom."

When Inui lifted his hand, the face of the coin was showing. "You lose, Oishi, so I guess we start with Kaidoh," Inui announced.

Visibly annoyed by the unfavorable results, Kaidoh scowled. Like the others, he had hoped to be the last, or second to last, to ask a question. However, he wasn't about to argue with his senpai, so after directing a dirty look at his rival, who was presently grinning with smug satisfaction, he practically growled at Echizen, "Who's the one in charge in the relationship?"

"I don't understand your question. What do you mean by 'in charge'? In charge of what? Do you mean who decides where to eat? Where we go? What we do? You have to clarify, Kaidoh-senpai."

Kaidoh blinked in surprise; he thought the question was pretty straight-forward, so now faced with the demand for an explanation, he had difficulty coming up with one. "Uh…I mean…." he trailed off wordlessly.

"Do you mean it in the abstract, Kaidoh?" Kawamura suggested from beside him.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, do you mean who's in charge as in who decides the direction of the relationship?"

With an insufferable sigh, Momo said, "What he means is who is the boss in the relationship. You or the captain. Right, viper?"

Though Kaidoh reacted with a glare at that, he nevertheless nodded in acquiescence. Echizen thought about it for a moment and then answered, "It depends."

"What? That's not an answer," Kaidoh complained grouchily.

"It's the truth. It depends on what's going on at the time. I'm not even sure if 'boss' is the appropriate term to use. That's why I told you to be more clear."

"How is 'who's the boss' not clear enough?"

"Because that could imply either commanding, bullying, or decision-making and that's why I say it depends on the situation."

"Surely, one of you is more dominant than the other? Especially in terms of directing the course of the relationship?" Inui suggested.

"Is that your question, Inui-senpai?"

Startled Inui replied, "Uh, no."

"You're just being difficult, Echizen!" Momo cried all of a sudden. "Are you just trying to side-track the question?"

"Why would I do that?"

"So you won't have to answer!"

"If I didn't want to answer, Momo-senpai, I wouldn't have agreed to this to begin with, now would I?"

"Then answer it with a real answer!"

"I did," Echizen said, pronouncing each word slowly. "I told you. It depends."

"Kaidoh, I'm afraid you'll have to accept that answer for what it is," Fuji said. "It might be that Echizen really cannot answer it any other way, unless we ask more follow-up questions."

"Somehow I feel cheated," Momo grumbled under his breath.

Echizen smirked. "You could ask a follow-up question on his behalf, Momo-senpai."

"Hell no, why should I waste my question for his sake?"

"No one asked for your help," was Kaidoh's retort. Instead of reacting to the bait, however, Momo decided to let it slide this time, not wanting Echizen or Fuji to make anymore weird jokes at their expense. He said instead, "Kawamura-senpai, it's your turn."

"Oh! Uhn…." The usually shy senior twitched in consternation at being thrust into the spotlight. It wasn't so much that he was intimidated by Echizen, even though he usually abhorred asking questions of such a decidedly personal nature, but rather, he was more discomforted by the fact that the subject matter dealt with Tezuka, whom he held in high regard. Therefore, he decided to ask the tamest question he could think of, "When did you…you and Tezuka, nnnh, start…dating?"

"It depends," was Echizen's reply.

"This is pointless!" Momo exclaimed. "Is that gonna be your answer to every question? I mean, then why should we even bother asking?"

"Why're you getting so worked up for, Momo-senpai?"

"Because you're just screwing around with us!"

In a calm voice, Fuji prompted, "An elaboration would be nice, Echizen."

"Well, I don't think we've ever gone on an official 'first date', as implied by your question, where we specifically recognized it as such, though we have gone out together. But if you mean when did we start spending time alone together…."

"That one," Kawamura responded eagerly. "That-that's what I mean."

"Oh, then it would be sometime right after the Yamabuki match."

Momoshiro sat up, excited. "Ah-ha! I knew it! It's when you stopped walking home with me, isn't it?"

"I guess. If you already knew, why did you ask me?"

"Ah, gomen, everyone, I should've asked something else," Kawamura said regretfully while scratching his head.

"It's not your fault, Kawamura-senpai. I didn't even really think about it until now."

"But that means you didn't learn anything new," the senior said.

"Ah, it's—it's still a good question," Momo reasoned.

Eiji patted his teammate on his back in a placating gesture. "That's right, Taka-san, don't mind don't mind! I'll make up for it with my question. And we still have the three spare questions, remember?"

"Alright, Eiji, it's your turn. Go." This from Oishi.

"I kinda still want to be last…oh okay, Yosh! Echizen!" He called out in a booming voice while pointing at the freshman. "Have you and Tezuka done the French-kissing thing yet?"

"Keep your voice done, Eiji!" Oishi instantly admonished him. "We're in a _public_ place, you know."

Sure enough, several passing customers of the restaurant, some of them students their age and even younger, had stopped to look their way curiously. Eiji immediately ducked his head in chagrin and covered his mouth. Giggling, he apologized with, "Oops, forgot about that."

"Why are you asking that anyway?" the vice captain currently asked in a disgruntled tone, "You don't even know what that is."

"Hmmph! I found out. No thanks to you."

Oishi was startled by that. "How?"

With a self-satisfied look, Kikumaru answered haughtily, "Fuji showed me."

"Fuji _showed _you?" Oishi fixed his penetrating gaze on the person in question. "You _showed_ him, Fuji?"

Fuji held his hands up in mollification. "It's not what you think, Oishi, I merely demonstrated with my hand."

"Oh." Oishi blinked and slumped back in his seat, his indignation seeping out of him right away. He then frowned in puzzlement and asked, "How'd you do that?"

"I'll show you." Fuji held up his hand, his fingers forming a tunnel. He then bent forward with his tongue extended and aimed for the aperture. Kaidoh, Momo, and Kawamura were watching him with their eyes agog. Inui had gone still while Echizen just looked on with an amused expression. Before his tongue could make contact with the hole made by his digits, however, Oishi immediately knocked Fuji's hand away and yelped, "I get it, I get it!"

"Not bad, Fuji-senpai," Echizen remarked.

"Thank you."

Eiji pursed his lips wryly. "See Oishi, it's no big deal. I still don't understand why you freaked out the other day. You could've just shown me like that."

"I…didn't think of that," his friend muttered gruffly.

Turning back to Echizen, Eiji pressed, "So, Ochibi, have you, have you? Have you two done that?"

The freshman shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah."

"Whoa! That's so naughty!" Eiji began chortling in glee. "That's so grown up of you, Ochibi!"

"It didn't look like you were doing that when you were kissing at the park," Inui observed.

The younger boy shot him a sour look, still displeased that he had been spied on. "We didn't do that at the park."

"I see." Inui pulled out his notebook and started making notes.

"Inui-senpai, how will this information be useful to you at all on the court?" Echizen inquired while eyeing his notebook with distaste.

"All pieces of information may some day be useful in defeating my opponent. I have long since learned to not underestimate even one morsel, no matter how seemingly insignificant."

"I don't know if I like the fact that you're taking notes on my personal life."

"You can rest assured that I have no intention of using it in a malicious way."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I just don't like it," Echizen groused.

"Don't forget, Inui-senpai, Echizen hates data tennis," Momoshiro said with a big smile, "Seeing you do that probably reminds him of it."

"Ah, then, would it make you feel better if I reserve from note-taking in your presence?" Inui offered.

"I guess that's better than nothing," was the reluctant response.

"So where did you guys do that at?" Kikumaru inquired presently.

"That's another question, Eiji-senpai," Echizen cautioned him.

"Eh?-! Aw, darn!"

"I think we should allow that," Fuji suggested. "It's just as good a question as any. What do you guys think?"

The other five Seigaku Regulars looked at each other expectantly before nodding their agreement. "In his room," came the response.

"You made out in the captain's _bedroom_?-!" Momo vociferated in disbelief.

"Yeah. So?"

"That's…that's so…!" The second year sputtered.

"Inappropriate," Kaidoh breathed. His eyeballs were protruding dangerously from his face.

Echizen came back with, "Why?"

Kaidoh opened his mouth but nothing came out. While he was struggling for a proper reply to that, Eiji piped up with, "It's downright scandalous, Ochibi! You guys doing that in closed-quarters! Don't tell me you did it on his bed too! Oh! What else do you do in there?"

"Is that another question?"

Oishi instantly jumped in with, "Ah, no, that's not, because I do _not _want to know."

"You're such a prude, Oishi. Fuji, what do you think?"

Before the other boy could answer, Kawamura added, "I don't think we should be asking something like either. Guys, don't forget, we're talking about Tezuka as well."

Kaidoh nodded. "Exactly, I don't want to know that stuff about the captain."

"Sheesh, you guys are no fun." Kikumaru scoffed. He then paused and eyed them suspiciously. "Wait a minute, why are you guys so worried? What are _you_ thinking about?" He concentrated his attention on Oishi especially. His doubles partner reacted by drawing back with a wide-eyed look. "Why are you looking at me like that, Eiji?" he asked with a tinge of nervousness.

"You're thinking ecchi thoughts, aren't you, Oishi?"

"No!" was the vehement response. "Absolutely not! I'm just…it's behind closed doors, Eiji. We should at least show them some degree of respect by not prying there."

Kikumaru snorted. "Then that takes half the fun out of it! What else would we ask? What were _you_ planning to ask?"

"I…" Oishi hesitated. He glanced over at Echizen, who returned his look openly, and then, with his head down, mumbled, "I was just going to ask if they're serious about each other."

Echizen cocked his head to one side and asked in return, "How do you mean 'serious', Oishi-senpai?"

"Well, do you…like Tezuka? Are you…in love with him?"

Completely caught off guard, a blank expression came over the younger boy's face. "Ochibi?" Eiji prompted.

Echizen barely heard him. He had never really considered in basic terms how he felt about Tezuka; every interaction he had with the young captain stemmed from impulse, more or less. He never stopped to ponder the significance of his actions and if they were a result of a deeper truth. All along he had merely acted out of instinct and curiosity. He knew he enjoyed Tezuka's company and presence and a lot of other things about him, but as for what that enjoyment, or rather, that appreciation signified, he never even spared a moment's thought in that regard. Not only did he never think about it, he never even wondered.

_Huh. Funny_, Ryoma thought absently. Outwardly, he answered with, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Momo said. "How's that possible? Shouldn't you know if you like a person before you date them?"

"Is that a rule?" was Echizen's response, the earnesty of which was apparent. Unfortunately, Momo failed to realize that he was being serious. "It'd be a damned good idea," was the older boy's sarcastic reply. Both Inui and Fuji did sense the sincerity behind the question, however, but both of them chose to refrain from commenting on it, for different reasons. They simply filed it away in the recesses of their mind with the intention to analyze it later using their own separate means.

Presently, Fuji spoke up in aid of the freshman. "Perhaps it's too soon for Echizen to answer a question like that, Oishi," he suggested quietly.

Bewildered, Oishi blinked and said, "Oh. Sorry."

"Can we pretend he didn't ask that question then?" Eiji questioned hopefully.

Echizen replied with a wry look, "No. A question is a question."

The senior pouted. "Geez." His face lite up in the next instant as he said, "Fuji! It's your turn!" He was confident that of all people, his friend would be the one to come up with the most intriguing question.

He was not disappointed.

"Echizen, was the reason why you were grounded because you came home too late from Tezuka's house last night?"

Beaming, Eiji whooped in triumph. "I _knew _you were gonna ask a cool question, Fuji!" he exclaimed.

Echizen narrowed his eyes shrewdly at the tensai. He was rather impressed. "That's a very good guess, Fuji-senpai."

Fuji's eyes were wide open and alert. "Thank you. I take it then the answer is yes?"

The other boy nodded.

"How late did you get home?" Oishi asked curiously.

"What were you doing at the captain's house so late?" This from Momo.

"That's two questions there, senpais."

Inui interceded by raising one finger to get his attention. "I'll take Momo's question as mine then."

A shred of realization began to dawn on Oishi. "Wait a minute, you two…." He began but was interrupted by Eiji's hand against his mouth. "Answer the question, Ochibi," Eiji commanded. His doubles partner tried to struggle from his grasp in vain.

With an almost evil grin, Echizen answered unabashedly, "We were having sex."

"You…you had…_sex_?-!" Momo stammered.

"Hey, I thought we weren't going to talk about stuff like that!" Kawamura complained.

Oishi was finally able to get out of Eiji's grasp, as the other boy was too busy staring at Echizen. He was frozen in shock, with his eyes the size of saucers and his mouth agape. When he had asked the question about what they did in Tezuka's bedroom earlier, he had _not_ been expecting this type of answer at all. In his rather pure mind, he was thinking only in terms of very innocent, playful interactions, such as petting, more kissing, and at most some necking. Never would he have thought that Echizen and Tezuka would have gone _all the way_. His mind could barely even handle the idea.

The same went for Kaidoh and Momo, who had the same shell-shocked expressions on their faces. The three of them looked almost comical, like owner-less ventriloquist dummies left in their lifeless state. "That was not your first time, I take it." This from Fuji.

"That's not a question," Echizen pointed out.

"How…how many times," Momo managed to get out, his face still in that inanimate condition.

"I don't know, I haven't counted. Quite a few, I guess."

"Can I take a spare question?" Inui asked. When no one protested, as they were too preoccupied with their emotions, he went on to say, "How was it?"

"Inui!" Oishi groaned. He was blushing. "Didn't I say I didn't want to hear about this stuff?"

Kawamura's face was reddening as well. "We still have to face Tezuka tomorrow, you guys!"

Fuji raised an eyebrow. "Actually, maybe sooner. Hello, Tezuka."

On hearing the greeting, everybody's head shot up to find their esteemed captain standing before them, a decidedly displeased expression on his already stern face.

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**Author's Note: **Hee hee, I'm being cruel again! I know! It's Fuji, I tell ya, his sadistic tendencies rubbed off on me! I can't help it, I just ended up having too much fun with this so I figured, why hold back, why not drag it on for a little more, prolong the torture, right? It just got longer the more I edited! I was going to finish this part in one chapter here, but then I got another idea. As a result, the next part will require more writing rather than just editing, but rest assured, it will be posted very soon.


	11. Focus: The Formidable Captain

**Author's Notes**: Eeps, sorry that this took so long! I can't believe it's been more than two weeks! Much apologies to those whom I said I would be posting last, last week. Er, what happened? I got kind of distracted, then carried away, then distracted, and then carried away until finally I sort of just had to redo things many, many times. I should've just stuck with my original intention of keeping these three chapters as one. Oh well. Such is life. I do like the way it turned out better than how it was originally in my mind. Anyway, thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoy!

**Rating**: PG-13

**Focus: The Formidable Captain **

"Te-Tezuka! What-what are you doing here?" was Oishi's stammered greeting. He swallowed nervously while shifting in his seat, embarrassed at being caught gossiping about his friend behind his back. Beside him, Eiji was still staring up in wonder at Tezuka with his mouth hanging open and his mind in a jumble as it tried to wrap itself around the amazing information he just heard.

At the end of the table, Momoshiro and Kaidoh looked at one another with matching expressions of rising panic. An imaginary signal passed between them, and as if on a cue, they stood up as one and declared simultaneously, "Captain! We'll be leaving now!"

Their attempt at escape was thwarted, however, by Tezuka's simple command of "Sit down," spoken in a quiet but firm tone. They did as told instantly, sinking back down with shoulders slumped and heads lowered to avoid their leader's intimidating gaze.

"Why don't you sit down, Tezuka?" Fuji suggested, his trademark smile gracing his face. Unfortunately, the other boy was impervious to his charms and instead responded with, "What are all of you doing here?"

"Uh, we were just, just talking," Oishi hedged and then tried to change the subject by asking, "How did you know we were here, Tezuka?"

The young captain's eyes flickered briefly over at Echizen, who flashed a small smirk that disappeared in a blink of an eye, though it was still not fast enough to escape Fuji's notice. "You called him, didn't you, Echizen?" the tensai guessed.

Puzzled, Oishi wrinkled his forehead and asked, "He did? When'd he—?" The realization dawned on him. Reaching into his book bag, he pulled out his phone—which Ryoma had borrowed—to look at the call list. Sure enough, Tezuka's phone number was the last number dialed.

Without needing to look, Inui could also surmise what had happened. "I see, that call wasn't to your parents."

That snapped Eiji out of his daze. Blinking in confusion, he turned to Echizen and said, "Wait a minute, you said you were calling home cuz you're grounded."

The younger boy shrugged nonchalantly. "I must've dialed the wrong number."

His lips twisting in a sour expression, the senior narrowed his eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him. "Liar. You did that on purpose."

"That was sneaky, Echizen," Momo muttered grumpily in a low voice.

"Looks, guys, it doesn't matter," Oishi interrupted hastily, "Now that Tezuka's here, perhaps we should, uh, adjourn."

Right away Kikumaru shot his friend an incredulous look and demanded, "Haah? Why, Oishi? Tezuka doesn't mind, do you, Te—yah!" His words were cut short by Oishi, who grabbed onto his arm to roughly yank him down close so that he could whisper fiercely into his ear, "Baka, of course he minds! You'd mind too if we were sitting around talking about your private life!"

"But, Oishi, we still have two more questions to go!" Eiji whispered back. "And Ochibi still hasn't even answered the last one!"

"Eiji, why do you even _want_ to know something like that? It's really none of our business!"

"I just want to!"

"At least save it for later, when Tezuka's _not_ here."

Ryoma spoke up at that, having overheard their entire conversation. "It's a one day only deal, Oishi-senpai."

"What are you talking about?" Tezuka questioned, addressing the freshman directly.

Oishi looked to the others desperately in hopes that someone would speak up before the freshman did, but they were too late, as Echizen was already saying in an off-handed manner, "They were asking me questions about us."

An automatic denial was at the tip of the vice captain's tongue, but this time, he was beat by Tezuka, who next asked, "What questions?" Though the young captain's demeanor remained as stoic as a porcelain mask, there was a noticeable change in the inflection of his voice that made most everyone at the table swallow uncomfortably. They froze in the next instant, as Ryoma began recounting with relish, "Kaidoh-senpai wanted to know who's the boss..." –the viper twitched and grimaced—"…Kawamura-senpai wanted to know when we first started..." –the usually soft-spoken senior looked like a deer caught in the headlights--"…Eiji-senpai wanted to know if we've French-kissed …" –Eiji only managed a protracted 'hey' before he was cut off—"…Oishi-senpai wanted to know how I felt about you…"—the vice captain emitted a strange croaking noise—"…Fuji-senpai wanted to know why I was grounded, Inui-senpai and Momo-senpai both asked sex-related questions…." Momo sputtered, his face the color of a plum. His grasp on vocabulary abandoning him, he finally just slid down lower in his seat while hoping fervently that he could just suddenly disappear from sight. Whereas Inui simply pursed his lips and pushed his glasses up his nose, though their mirror-like quality succeeded in hiding his expression, the tinge of color on his two cheeks were a dead giveaway to how he was truly feeling.

"Mmm, that's about it," the freshman was saying in conclusion, "They have two more questions left."

"Echizen, you traitor!" Eiji cried.

"Eh? I only repeated what senpai-tachi said."

"No, you made it sound worse!"

"How?"

"You just did!"

"If you didn't want the captain to know, perhaps you shouldn't have asked those questions in the first place."

"You…" Kikumaru stopped, a light bulb going off in his head. His lips slowly stretched in a rather devious grin. "Hmmph. Then I guess it wouldn't matter either if I told Tezuka about how you sold him out for sushi and lunch?"

Ryoma returned his look blankly. "Go ahead."

"I will! Tezuka, did you know he was the one who offered us a deal? That in exchange for 15 sushi meals and a month's worth of lunch, we would get to ask him 10 questions, _any _type of questions, about the two of you? So you can see why we had to ask what we did!" Kikumaru turned his chin up smugly at the freshman, whose only reaction was a raised eyebrow.

"Eiji-senpai, while you're at it, why don't you mention how you and the other senpais have been spying on us?"

"We had no choice! It's not like you were gonna tell us on your own!" Eiji argued vehemently just as Momo complained in a small voice, "Hey, for the last time already, I wasn't spying."

Echizen continued, "You could have asked, but instead you took the sneaky way out."

"Echizen, that's enough," Tezuka intoned sharply. The severity of his tone succeeded in catching everyone's attention; the eight Regulars looked up simultaneously at their captain, whose features had darkened considerably. "All of you, is this what you've been talking about?" he demanded.

"Tezuka…," Oishi began uneasily.

Tezuka immediately cut him off. "Oishi, you of all people should know better. Have you forgotten about your responsibilities as vice captain? How do you expect to lead in my place if you continue to join in on their nonsense?

"And you, Momoshiro." The second year started, eyes flying wide open in dread. "Do you think that being a team manager is just a means of passing the time until you make it back as a Regular? Do you even want to make it back as a Regular anymore? Or are you content with just watching from the sidelines, waiting for the next time another lucky chance occurs?"

Seeing the crestfallen expression on the two boys' faces, Eiji opened his mouth to say something in his teammates' defense, but froze at Tezuka's next words, "And you Kikumaru, considering your performance in the last couple of matches, I hardly think you could afford to waste any more of your time and energy on irrelevant distractions. Are you not concerned at all by the fact that you are not unique in your abilities, that there may be someone out there who is even stronger than Gakuto? What are you going to do when you encounter another acrobatic player? Just rely on your partner and hope for the best?

"If the last match has shown us nothing else, it is that we are _not_ undefeatable. For every weakness we possess, there is someone out there trained to exploit that weakness. For every strength we have, there is an opponent out there whose sole purpose is to counter that strength. Moves can be sealed, data can be nullified in the face of players with stronger abilities. Knowing this, how can you sit here and concern yourselves with trivial matters such as this? Have you forgotten we're in the midst of the Regionals? Not to mention the Nationals? Have you given up on that goal?"

"Of course not!" Oishi answered with emotion. His words were echoed by everyone other than Fuji and Echizen, whom showed their acquiescence by remaining silent with their eyes trained on the table.

After a long moment, Tezuka sighed. "Yes, Echizen and I have been spending time outside of school, but when we are in school and on the courts, I am his captain and he is my responsibility as a member of the Seigaku team, just like the rest of you. Nothing more. You have already acquired information far beyond your right to know so I will only say this once: I do not want to hear another word about this matter after today. Is that understood?"

Eiji mumbled something incoherently to which the other senior demanded, "What is it, Kikumaru?"

"But do we still have to treat him to sushi and lunch, since he didn't even fulfill his end of the deal?" the other boy asked almost timidly.

Tezuka shot Echizen a deliberate look, to which the freshman responded by saying, "Deal's off."

Tezuka nodded and then announced, "Then we are finished here." As he turned to leave, the Seigaku Regulars stood up to say good-bye to him. Just as he was about to go, he paused briefly to remark over his shoulder, "Echizen, shouldn't you be home by now?"

It didn't take a genius to understand what he meant. Without another word, Ryoma quickly slid underneath the table to get out of the booth and picked up his bags from the floor. He gave his senpais a small wave and a mildly regretful smile before following the senior out of McDonald's.

As soon as their captain left, Kaidoh and Momoshiro both expelled a huge breath of relief, the tension visibly draining from their frames. "Man! That was harsh!" Momoshiro exclaimed.

"That was the worse," Kaidoh agreed.

"Stupid Ochibi, why'd he have to call Tezuka? He's such a party-pooper."

"Dang, the captain can be pretty damn scary when he wants to be," Momo commented.

"I never knew you were so afraid of him."

"I've _always_ been scared of him!" the younger boy declared almost proudly, "Are you crazy?-! Of course I am! He's the captain after all. On top of that, the guy reminds me of a supernatural robot with a nuclear time-bomb! He practically _demands_ respect!"

Eiji rolled his eyes in disdain. "'Taku, he's just Tezuka."

"It's not like you put up much of a fight either, Eiji-senpai. I'd say you backed off rather easily."

"I'm not stupid! I'm not gonna fight a losing battle on my own. I'll end up being the only one doing a million laps!"

"Guys, Tezuka's right, we did go a little overboard. I mean, with the spying and the questions, we've really intruded on their privacy," Oishi stated seriously, "We have no right to ask for anything more."

"If Tezuka hadn't shown up, I'm sure we could've gotten even more out of Ochibi. We had two questions left after all. Not to mention he didn't even answer Inui's last question."

"Eiji, enough is enough. Couldn't you tell how upset Tezuka was?"

"Then he should be mad at Echizen too. It's not like we put a gun to his head. If he really didn't want us to know, he could've easily lied or something."

"Actually, it didn't look too good for Echizen either," Kawamura observed worriedly. "I hope they don't get into a serious argument because of this."

"You think they'd break up over something like this?" Oishi questioned, his eyes widening in alarm. "I mean, we meant no harm. And I'm sure Tezuka knows we'll keep it a secret for them so he won't be too hard on Echizen, will he?"

"I don't know, I hope not," the other senior replied.

"Oh come on, I doubt it," Momoshiro said uneasily. "The captain can't be that petty."

"I hope so," Oishi said as he glanced out the window at the direction in which the two of them had gone.

"They should be okay," Fuji assured his friend. "Considering how close they've gotten, I'd like to think it'd take more than this to drive a rift between them."

"Speaking of which," like a flick of a switch, Eiji's face immediately lite up with barely contained excitement, "seriously, can you believe it? Tezuka and Ochibi and _sex_? I almost had a heart attack when he admitted it!"

"Me too. I mean, damn, Echizen's still so young!" Momoshiro agreed.

"What d'ya mean 'Echizen' only? Tezuka's just a kid too! Of course he acts like grouchy old fart 99 percent of the time but he's still only 15. I thought it was bad enough they were making out in Tezuka's room, but who would've thought they did even more than _that_? So much more!"

"And not just _once_. Remember what he said? They've done it a countless number of times! That's just too freaking weird to even think about!"

"How long have they been together again? A month? Sheesh, talk about moving fast."

"Well, they were already making out, what, a week into their relationship?" the second year mused thoughtfully. "I guess it's only natural for them to go all the way in a month."

"Really, that's normal?" Eiji questioned, eyes widening inquisitively. "So it's really okay to sleep with someone after dating them for just a month?"

Thrown, the other boy crinkled his forehead and said, "Hah?"

"I'm serious. Is that what usually happens a month after you start dating someone?"

Oishi shot Eiji a funny look out of the corner of his eyes just as Momoshiro drew back hastily and answered in a gruff manner, "How the heck should I know? I've never dated anyone."

"What? What about that cute sister of Tachibana's?"

Momo instantly became worked up over that. "I told you, I'm not _dating_ her! I barely even know her!"

"Calm down, I was just asking," Eiji turned to the next person down the line, Inui, and inquired, "What about you, Inui? Have you dated anyone? When did you have sex?"

Caught off guard, the other boy's cheeks reddened somewhat as he replied, "What? Weren't we talking about Tezuka and Echizen?"

"We were. I'm just curious about that, that's all."

"Why are you asking me? What about you, Eiji? Have you ever dated anyone?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Inui realized how silly they were since the answer was blatantly obvious. Even Eiji gave him a wry look as he answered, "Baka Inui. Of course I haven't. That's why I'm asking you."

"Yes, but why would you assume that I'd know the answer?"

Eiji lifted his shoulders casually in a shrug. "I dunno. I just thought. Wait, actually, weren't you seeing some cute second year who had a crush on you a while back?"

"What second year?" Momo asked with keen interest. "Who was she, Inui-senpai?"

Suddenly everyone's attention was on him. Faced with so many curious pairs of eyes focusing upon him, the senior swallowed nervously as he pushed his glasses up his nose. The gesture never failed in both calming his nerves and helping him focus his thoughts. He was frankly surprised that Eiji even remembered that girl; someone whom he did date a few months ago, though he didn't get anywhere _near _how far Tezuka and Echizen got. However, he preferred not to reveal that piece of information to his teammates, not because he was particularly shy about disclosing the details of his personal life, rather, he was more concerned about the fact that he would be sharing with them data about himself that could potentially be used against him. Therefore, to be on the safe side, he decided to evade the question. "I doubt experience in dating would necessarily correlate with a valid means of evaluating the pace by which most couples progress in their relationship since there may be a variety of factors that could differentiate the practices of one pair from another."

Both Eiji and Momo stared at Inui with slack-jawed disbelief. After a moment, Momo stated in wonder, "I have _no_ idea _what_ you just said, Inui-senpai." Kikumaru nodded in agreement.

"What he means is it's none of our business whether or not he's dated before, you dumbass," Kaidoh grumbled at his peer.

"Kaidoh, stop baiting him," Oishi scolded, in hopes of staunching the on-coming battle. He knew that whatever reply Momoshiro came back with would most likely be equivalent to a declaration of war.

Unfortunately, his efforts failed. "Yeah, you stupid viper. If you're so smart, why don't you answer the question? Have _you_ ever dated anyone?" Before the other boy could even answer, Momo immediately followed it up with, "Ah, of course not. Who would want to date an ugly and stupid piece of shit like you?"

"You. Are. DEAD." Before anyone could react, Kaidoh reached across the table with one and grabbed his rival by the front of his shirt while drawing back his other hand in a fist with the full intention of ramming it straight into the other boy's face. In retaliation, Momo dug his fingernails into the arm that was holding onto him and brought his other fist up and back, mimicking Kaidoh's stance.

"Let go! You damned asshole!" Momo cursed loudly. Several people were looking their way in alarm. Oishi jumped up from his seat, yelling the two boys' name crossly, but it had little affect since both of them were too consumed by their desire for a real fight.

Even Eiji tried to help this time. "Come on, guys, cut it out, we're gonna get kicked out of here."

"You heard him, he deserves to die," Kaidoh bit out furiously.

Momo shot back with, "Can't you take a joke, retard? You're even more sensitive than a girl!"

"You bastard, I'm gonna—!"

"You know, sex is a good way of resolving the tension between the two of you." The tensai's calmly spoken words could not have been more effective in cutting through the haze of seething rage between the two rivals. They instantly turned to look at their senpai with the same expression of horrified incredulity. Fuji returned their gazes with hooded eyes and an easy smile as he rested his elbows on the table, his chin cradled in the palm of his hands. "What? Haven't you heard of that remedy before?" he continued pleasantly. "I truly think it might even allow you two to get along better."

The speed by which the two boys released one another was nothing short of record-breaking. Faces scrunched up in extreme repulsion, they slumped down bonelessly into their seats with their heads facing the opposite directions, steaming in brooding silence as they refused to meet each others' eyes.

Oishi leaned over to whisper gratefully, "You're a lifesaver, Fuji," to which his friend responded with wide-eyed innocence, "But I'm serious."

Getting back to what they were discussing before the aborted war, Eiji breathed, "Oh, Fuji, so have you had sex?"

Oishi was on the verge of protesting his friend's line of questioning, but then decided at the last minute he would much rather discuss Fuji's sex life than Tezuka's. In fact, he had to admit that he was actually curious about it as well, since he knew for a fact that Fuji had dated quite a few times. It was information he had always kept to himself, of course, but he wondered now if Fuji would be willing to share it with the others.

With an enigmatic smile, Fuji answered, "Maybe."

Now everyone turned their attention on the senior, who was not at all abashed to meet their inquisitive looks. Even Momo and Kaidoh did not hesitate to show their interest, despite the fact that they did hold a good degree of respect for their senpai, who, like Tezuka, was at a completely different level from them in terms of skills. The two of them, along with Eiji and Oishi, leaned in closer with anticipation. Kawamura widened his eyes to the size of large gumballs while Inui simply stared with his mouth slightly open. "Maybe? _Maybe_?What do you mean by that? You did, didn't you, Fuji?" Kikumaru asked, his voice shrill with excitement. "You did, right, Fuji?-! Whoa! When was this? Who was it with? Is it someone I know? How many times have you done it? How was it? Tell me, tell me!"

The tensai chuckled softly but instead of responding, just shrugged one shoulder.

"Fujiiii, don't just do that! Say something!"

"Should I offer you a deal?"

"No!" Eiji, Kaidoh, and Momoshiro shouted in unison. "Please, Fuji-senpai, no more deals," Kaidoh said. Momo chimed in with, "At least tell us a little, Fuji-senpai. Have pity on us!"

"Mmm, but, it is kind of private…."

Momoshiro pledged right away, "We promise not to tell anyone else!" The others nodded eagerly as well.

Fuji hummed as he tapped a finger rhythmically against his cheek in contemplation. After a moment, with a mildly sly look, he said, "Let me think about it more."

"What?-!" Eiji and Momoshiro cried at the same time. "Fuji-senpai, that's mean!" the second year added.

"Can we at least ask some general questions?" Inui inquired intently. Though he was the researcher of the group, Fuji had always been the one person he could never gather accurate data on because the other boy was so good at hiding his information. He'd seen the other boy alone with others outside of school, both guys and girls, but he was never able to tell if they were actual love interests or just casual friends since Fuji always carried on the same cordial interactions with each of them, making it difficult to determine if one person meant more to him than another. As a result, this bit of news not only came as a complete surprise but was therefore all the more precious. Though he knew the tensai could be rather manipulative at times and would only allow them to know what he _wanted_ them to know and nothing more, to Inui, any tiny nugget of data was better than nothing at all.

After thinking about it for another second, Fuji shrugged again and said, "I guess there's no harm in that." Like flies homing in on fresh meat, his friends immediately swarmed around him in excitement, their eager faces hovering mere inches from the senior. In fact, since they were sitting the farthest away, the two second years had to get up on their knees on the seat cushion and lie on top of the table, their upper bodies supported by their elbows, in order to move in closer.

"So who was it?" Eiji asked in a conspiring whisper.

"That's not a general question," was the good-humored response.

"Eiji-senpai, don't ask something like that," Momo said with a slight hint of anxiety in his voice; he didn't want the senior to change his mind before they had a chance to even get any juicy information out of him. "General, keep them general."

"Okay, okay, calm down," furrowing his forehead in thought, Kikumaru paused for a beat and then said, "Is it okay to tell us when you did it? You know, have sex?"

"Do you mean when was the last time or when was the first time?"

"You did it more than once?-!" Eiji gasped in shock.

Fuji's laughter was like droplets of water falling on chimes. "Is that so strange?"

"Yes! Well, uh, I guess…not, no." The other boy scratched his head, wondering himself why he even assumed it would only be once.

Inui and Oishi were the ones to ask the next question, speaking up at the same time. The former wanted to know when was the last time while the latter wanted to know when was the first time. They looked at each other and then back at Fuji expectantly.

"First time…it's been a while…a year or two, I guess…"—both Eiji and Oishi's mouths dropped open at that—"…the last time…Saturday?" Now Momoshiro and Kawamura also joined in on the gawking contest.

Utterly bewildered, Inui said, "Two days ago? You are dating someone too, Fuji?"

"Mmm, sort of," was the vague answer.

"Masaka, is it…" Momo began, then dropped his voice to a mildly appalled whisper before continuing, "Is it like one of those casual encounters? Where you meet up at a love hotel just to do it?"

"Don't they check ids at those places?" Oishi questioned.

"Not all the time," the second year replied, "Fuji-senpai _looks_ old enough that they might just let him get by without asking."

"You seem well-informed about those places, Momoshiro," remarked Inui.

With a furious blush, his kouhai stammered defensively, "I-I-I just heard it from someone. Don't get the wrong idea!"

"I wasn't. I was simply commenting on it. Just because you know information like that doesn't necessarily mean you've been to one."

"Exactly," he stated, rather disconcertedly. "Uh, as long as we're clear on that. Anyway, Fuji-senpai, is it something like that?"

The tensai thought about it and then shook his head. "Not really."

"Is it someone we know?" Oishi ventured.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Hah? What does that mean?" this from Momo.

"I would have to tell you who it actually is for you to know for certain if you know that person or not, now wouldn't I?"

"Er, so you don't want us to know who the person is?"

With another chuckle, Fuji simply answered, "If I get any more specific than that, then the question could no longer be considered a general one, right?"

"Uh, okay."

"Wait, you've been seeing this person for over a year now yet you two aren't really dating? I don't understand," Eiji said with a perplexed frown.

"I never said it was the same person all along."

Eiji started. "How many people have you dated, Fuji?"

"A couple."

Astounded, his friend demanded, "Why wasn't I aware of any of this?"

"I don't know. You never asked."

"I never…didn't you at least think about telling me yourself?-! I have to ask _all_ the time?"

"The topic just never came up. Sorry."

Miffed, Kikumaru instantly turned to his doubles partner and asked forcefully, "So have _you_ dated anyone, Oishi? Don't tell me _you've_ been seeing all sorts of people for _years_ already and you just never told me?-!"

Jerking back in surprise, the other boy stuttered out, "What's this all of a sudden? No, no, I haven't been dating anyone."

"You better not be lying," Eiji warned while jabbing a finger in his face.

"I'm not!"

The boy fixed him with a mean look for a while more before finally letting up. "Alright then."

Inui coughed discreetly and then said, "Fuji, may I ask, how is it? Sex, that is. You don't have to get into the specifics of course."

"It's good," the tensai replied casually. "You should try it out sometime."

"I want to, but I…haven't been too successful," Inui muttered quietly.

"Ah-ha, Inui! You have been dating someone!" Kikumaru called out in triumphant.

"Ahem, Kikumaru, would you mind lowering your voice?"

"Oh, sorry. Hey, so was it that second year?"

Trapped, Inui's cheeks reddened slightly as he adjusted his glasses again. "Er, for a while. Not anymore."

"How many others have you dated?"

"Not that many," the senior answered uncomfortably.

"How far _did_ you get with them?"

"I thought we were talking about Fuji."

The tensai offered helpfully, "Oh, I don't mind sharing the limelight. Although, I do think if Inui and I are to disclose information like this about ourselves, then it's only fair that we _all_ share our secrets."

"What?-!" Oishi and Kaidoh exclaimed at the same time while Eiji tsked and reiterated, "I already said I've never dated anyone before."

"Yeah, me neither," Momo added hurriedly.

"You've liked someone before, though, haven't you? Or perhaps you like someone now. You could share that too," Fuji suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," Inui concurred. This was information that he definitely would not be able to acquire under normal circumstances. "Our data for yours. Although Fuji might be getting the short end of the stick since he's apparently gone further than any of us…or has he? Taka-san? Kaidoh? The two of you have been rather quiet."

The two people in question instantly flushed crimson, with Kaidoh responding with a rather indignant, "Of-of course I haven't!" while Kawamura came back with a more subdued, "Me neither."

Oishi was practically sweating in his seat. He could sense danger on the horizon, therefore, in desperation, he said in a mildly shaky voice, "Uh, wait, maybe, we shouldn't do this."

"Why? I don't mind. I don't have anything to be afraid of," Eiji said proudly.

"It's easy for you to say; you _don't_ have any secrets, Eiji."

"How do you know I don't have a secret crush on someone?" his friend asked, mildly offended.

Oishi rolled his eyes. If there was nothing else he could be certain of on this planet, he could at least be certain that he knew his friend inside, out, forwards, and backwards. He therefore knew for a fact that Eiji did not harbor any such secret crush, because whenever he did find someone remotely cute, Oishi was always the first person he would tell. And even then, those fits of appreciation were nothing more than superficial appraisals of that person's aesthetically pleasing qualities. Eiji had never had a "real" crush on anybody. Just to play along, however, he prodded the other boy with, "Oh yeah, then who is it?"

Kikumaru sniffed conceitedly. "I'm not gonna say until all of you agree to tell as well."

_You liar_, Oishi thought as he pursed his lips skeptically. He was about to say something else when, much to his relief, Kawamura spoke up with, "Wait, I don't think I want to do this either."

"Me neither," Kaidoh agreed, his face still heated.

"Yeah," Momo said in a slow, measured tone, "I agree with senpai and the viper." This earned a glare from the other second year, who always hated hearing his nickname coming from his lifelong rival's lips, but luckily, that was it.

"Ah, so does that mean you guys _do_ like somebody but you don't want us to know about it?" Kikumaru teased, "Why, is it someone we know?"

"The only thing it means is that we just don't want to go there," Momoshiro insisted in his own defense. The two other boys, along with Oishi, nodded accordingly.

"Hmm, if it's four against three, the majority rules," Fuji said with a note of regret. "I guess we'll have to stop here then."

"Mou!" pouted Kikumaru. "But you said it was okay for us to ask you general questions, Fuji!"

"Don't you think it's unfair to me to be the only one in the hot seat?"

"We don't mind."

The tensai laughed. "I don't think it's as fun unless we're all in it together. We're a team after all, right?"

"Aw! What a disappointment."

"Actually, that's not quite true," Inui pointed out, "I would say today has been anything _but _a disappointment. Look at all we've learned: we now know Tezuka and Echizen have done it and so has Fuji."

"Also that Inui-senpai has dated some second year girl, among others," Momoshiro supplied.

"Er, yeah, that too. And that at least some of you have secrets you don't want to share." _Which makes discovering them all the more interesting. A challenge definitely worth taking,_ Inui added inwardly.

"Yeah, I'd say it's been really productive," Oishi concluded wryly, "Since it's getting late as well, as your vice captain, I say we call it a day. Didn't you hear what Tezuka said? It's bad enough that I let you guys carry on with this nonsense for so long. There's still training to be done, not to mention your homework."

The rest of them murmured in concordance, even Eiji, albeit with great reluctance. _There's always tomorrow,_ he thought in consolation. _Yosh! Tomorrow! Tomorrow's a new day! _With an almost frighteningly gleeful smile, which earned a look of apprehension from Oishi, Eiji began plotting different means of attack while gathering his belongings along with the others.

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Just as the seven Regulars were starting in on their little pow-wow, Tezuka and Echizen were heading together in the direction of the freshman's home. Right after he left McDonald's, Echizen had to hurry to keep up with the young captain at first, but instead of saying anything about it, he simply followed in silence, instinctively understanding the reason for the senior's haste. It wasn't until they were a good distance away from the restaurant and the others that Tezuka finally slowed down so that they could walk side by side. The older boy expelled a breath in relief.

"You sounded quite serious back there," Echizen commented while looking up at Tezuka from underneath his cap.

Pursing his lips slightly, the other boy only responded with, "I was."

After a brief silence, the freshman ventured, "You mad?"

Another stretch of silence ensued before the other boy replied, "I guess it was inevitable that they would eventually find out. I just didn't expect you to be so forthcoming with the information."

"I thought you didn't mind if people knew about us."

"That's not what I mean." Tezuka sighed. "You have to understand that as long as I'm their captain, I am responsible for them. With that responsibility comes a certain degree of authority I have to maintain. I do not want anything to undermine that authority since there may be detrimental consequences that may result."

"I wouldn't worry about that, captain. Your presence was still as intimidating as ever."

"You're not listening." The senior stopped to face him, a shadow overcoming his features. "I never gave this much thought before because…I just didn't, though I really should have. When I say anything, I mean you and I as well. Therefore, as long as you're a part of the team and I am your captain, I won't go easy on you when we're on the courts or even in school just because of what's going on between us. In fact, I can't promise that I won't be harder on you because of that."

"Che, I never asked you for special treatment," the freshman said flippantly while resting his hands on the back of his head.

"You won't get any. I want you to really understand that." Tezuka hesitated. "It's very important to me that you do."

Taken aback by the fierceness behind his words, Ryoma dropped his hands and looked up to gaze at the other boy steadily. After a long while, he nodded and turned away wordlessly to begin walking again.

When they reached his house, Tezuka said in a softer tone, "I'm glad you called me. It wouldn't have been fair for you to deal with this yourself."

Lips quirking in a lop-sided grin, the younger boy answered, "I'm sure I could've managed somehow, but yeah, thanks for coming just the same."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Tezuka glanced around. Since it was just after dusk, there were still some people milling about on the sidewalk and a good amount of cars on the street. There were definitely too many eyes present for him to be comfortable about doing anything more than bidding the freshman a good-night. Therefore, after saying just that, he turned away when the freshman stopped him by calling out his name. He looked back expectantly.

"Wanna come in?" Echizen asked with slight tilt of his head in the direction of his house.

Tezuka blinked. "You said dinner's tomorrow night," he pointed out.

"We eat every night."

The senior shot him a wry look before saying, "Are you sure? Your parents weren't expecting me until tomorrow night."

Ryoma shrugged and said, "It's just one more place setting, no big deal. If there's not enough food, I'll let you have my share." He then turned away to unlock his front gate. When the senior still hung back uncertainly, he teased, "Come on, Kuni-chan, I promise it'll be okay."

After another pause, Tezuka took a deep breath and then propelled himself forward to follow the freshman into the lion's den.

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**Author's Notes**: When's the next part? Soon! I was thinking the other day, didn't I originally intend these chapters to just be vignettes? What's with all the cliffhangers? Hmm, I'll try to stop that.


	12. Focus: Meet the Echizens

**Author's Note**: I cannot say enough how horribly awful I feel for having made all of you wait so long for this new chapter! I would be amazed if anybody still hung around after such a long time, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I also want to thank you to those who e-mailed me to see if I was still alive and kicking (you know who you guys are! Much love to you all!). Why did it take me this long? Well, I actually had a draft done waaay back about two months ago, but then at first I didn't have time to edit it and then when I did, I ended up editing a lot so there was much re-writing. I had a good idea of the major points of this chapter in my head, but it was just connecting the points that I kept waffling on. One of my worst nightmares when I write. Anyway, so sorry again, I've become one of the types of author I dislike most, that is, one who keeps people hanging forever. I can only hang my head in utter shame and thank you for not giving up on me.

Also, pardons for the totally unimaginative title. Nothing better came up so I decided to just go with my first instinct.

**Rating: G**

**Focus: Meet the Echizens**

Inside, the lion was furiously pacing back and forth before his lair, his teeth bared menacingly while his body bristled with tension. With each turn of his steps, he emitted faint growling noises, causing the smaller feline counterpart nearby to meow discreetly in concern. The lion barely acknowledged its presence, enveloped as he was in his own murderous thoughts. What had originally started out as a good-humored (albeit ill-intentioned) welcome wagon for his insolent cub soon became an exercise in anger management when said offspring failed to appear even after an hour of waiting. His initial sense of playfulness having been completely consumed by seething impatience, he was currently nurturing scary ideas of what he would like to do to his prey as soon as he came home. The images were enough to make him lick his chops in anticipation as he continued to pound the pavement with all his might.

"Where the hell is that brat?" he snarled out loud. Though the question was not directed at anyone in particular, from inside the house came his mate's placating reply, "He's probably still at practice. Honey, why don't you relax and come inside, I could hear you shuffling around out there even from the kitchen."

With a derisive snort, Nanjiroh grumbled, "Practice, my ass! The old hag won't keep them this late the day after a tournament. He's out trolling somewhere again when he's supposed to be_ grounded_!" The last part of his sentence was delivered in a shout. In the far recesses of his mind that wasn't clouded by the smoke of his rising temper, he was actually a bit amazed that the kid would dare to defy his sentencing. Even though it had been the first time punishment of this sort had been handed down, the fact that it was so easily disregarded conjured in Nanjiroh not only a good degree of astonishment, but a tiny speck of grudging respect as well. The brat had guts, he had to give him that.

Rinko shook her head at her husband's griping; there was no point in arguing with him. Instead, she turned to her niece, who was standing next to her chopping cabbage, and explained with her voice lowered, "The only reason why he's so upset is because now he has no one to harass." The younger woman giggled in response.

When the sound of the front gate opening heralded his son's return, Nanjiroh pounced in attack, barely giving the boy the chance to even cross the threshold. The elder Echizen rushed towards him in a huff and yelled, "It's about damn time, brat, do you know how long I've been waiting for you? Where the…." He stopped short, momentarily caught off guard at the unexpected sight of the taller boy entering behind his son.

Before answering, Ryoma first calmly closed and locked the gate and then bent down in a leisurely fashion to pick up Karupin, who had been nuzzling his ankles in greeting. He then turned to his father and said in a monotone, "Can you stop yelling every time I walk through the door? It's very annoying."

Nanjiroh snapped back to attention at that. Planting his fists on his hips in a threatening stance, he roared, "DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU'RE IN ANY POSITION TO SAY THAT, YOU SHITTY BRAT! WHERE THE HELL'VE YOU BEEN? AND DON'T TELL ME YOU WERE AT PRACTICE CUZ I AIN'T BUYING IT!"

Expelling a breath in exasperation, Ryoma mumbled, "So noisy," before saying in a louder voice, "I was held up by the senpais. If you want to blame someone, blame them."

"Bullshit," his father instantly shot back, "Didn't you tell them you were grounded?"

His son shrugged. "I did. They wouldn't listen. Why're you getting so worked up for?"

"WORKED UP? I've been standing out here for the past HOUR. You wanna talk about worked up? How 'bout I work you up some?"

"Who told you to stand out here?"

"Who?-! I…." Nanjiroh paused. Of course he knew exactly why he had been standing outside but since admitting the reason would be completely counter-productive to the image he was trying to project, he decided to evade the question instead by furiously stating, "That's not the point! You were supposed to get your ass back here right after practice!"

"Alright, alright, calm down already. You're gonna scare away the guest." Ryoma gave a slight nod in the Tezuka's direction, who had been hanging back all this time during their exchange, observing the rather eclectic interaction between father and son with a sense of wonder that was barely masked by his outwardly calm demeanor. At the freshman's gesture, the senior stepped forward immediately and presented himself by bowing respectfully and intoning with solemn sincerity, "Please pardon me for intruding and imposing upon your hospitality, sir."

Nanjiroh stared incredulously at Tezuka for a beat before guffawing. "Get a load of this kid. Wait 'til Rinko gets her hands on you. She might even threaten to adopt you." He then narrowed his eyes at the boy while asking his son, "So what the heck is kid-captain doing here?"

"You told me to bring him, old man," Echizen pointed out curtly.

"Eh? I thought you said tomorrow night."

"What difference does it make? He's here now."

His face twisted in a mild scowl, Nanjiroh continued to pin his piercing gaze on Tezuka, who barely blinked under such intense scrutiny, despite the fact that inwardly, he felt like a bug trapped underneath a microscope. Not to mention that since Tezuka was meeting the legendary Samurai in the tennis world in person for the first time, he was also trying to hide the fact that he was rather awestruck. Thankfully, the elder Echizen was too preoccupied with the current situation to notice. He had turned his attention back to his son, who returned his hard look with an expression that tethered on boredom. Eventually, Nanjiroh made a skeptical sound and then jabbed his finger warningly at Ryoma. "Don't be so cocky, seishounen. Just because you got kid-captain to come, doesn't mean you're off the hook. Let's see how he holds up to interrogation." With that, the man turned to holler back at the house, "RINKO, COMPANY!"

Ryoma quickly glanced over at Tezuka to meet his eyes and flash a crooked smile at him as a means of assurance. Before the young captain could respond, the freshman's mother and cousin emerged from the house, both looking with mild surprise at him. Since Tezuka had seen images of Nanjiroh in magazines and on tv before, he had long known that Echizen got his feline eyes and cocksure smile from his dad. And now, upon meeting his mother, the senior saw that Ryoma got everything else—his fair complexion, delicate facial structure and petite build—from her. Though the couple was as physically different from each other as night from day, somehow, they managed to produce a child who successfully brought together the best attributes from each of them into a perfect blend.

It took Rinko a few seconds to realize who the tall boy was since she had only seen him in pictures, but upon recognition, her face broke out in a large welcoming smile. "You must be Tezuka-kun," she said warmly as she strode down to them.

Again, Tezuka made his formal bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am, and thank you for allowing me to impose upon your hospitality."

"You're so polite!" Rinko exclaimed, pleasantly surprised.

"See, I warned you, kid," Nanjiroh reminded him in a low voice.

"What kind of weird thing did you tell him now, Nanjiroh?" his wife asked disapprovingly.

"Nothing, nothing," was the nonchalant reply.

"Ah! I saw pictures of you in Pro-tennis! You're nationally ranked, aren't you, Tezuka-kun?" Nanako asked excitedly as she studied him unabashedly.

The senior made a quick bow to Echizen's cousin before answering, "Yes I am, nice to meet you, Nanako-san."

The older girl giggled. "Gomen, I forgot to even introduce myself!"

"It's quite alright," he then turned back to Echizen's mother, "I hope I am not causing any inconveniences by coming here unannounced?"

"Not at all. We were just finishing up with preparing dinner. You are going to stay for dinner too, right?"

"If it's not too much trouble…."

"Of course not. It's just one more place-setting. Dinner should be ready in five minutes. Come inside, Tezuka-kun, have a seat while you wait. Would you like some tea?"

"Please don't worry about me, ma'am. I'm fine."

With a smirk, Nanjiroh tugged on his son's sleeve and muttered out of the side of his mouth, "This kid puts you to shame, seishounen. He's making you look really bad in comparison."

"Be quiet," Ryoma shot back.

Nanjiroh started, suddenly remembering something. "Oh yeah, that's right! Hey, kid-captain, how about a game before dinner?" he called out to Tezuka who was following the two women into the house. Turning, the senior blinked and managed to get the word, "I….", out before Echizen interjected with, "He can't play."

"Eh? Why?-!"

"He injured his arm yesterday."

"You did? Are you okay?" This from Rinko.

Once again before Tezuka was able to reply, he was interrupted, this time by the elder Echizen, who snorted and waved his hand dismissively. "So he injured his arm, big deal. He's still in one piece, isn't he? I've played with worse injuries."

"Not everyone's crazy like you, old man," Ryoma scoffed.

"How 'bout this, kid, I promise to go easy on you."

"No means no," his son stated firmly. Despite his resolute tone, however, deep down, he had to admit he would've really liked to see Tezuka play against his dad. While he had no doubt that the old man would've won in the end, it still would be a great game to watch.

"Sorry, sir, I think I should pass this time," Tezuka said apologetically, "I doubt you would get much satisfaction out of playing me today."

"You don't have to address us so formally, Tezuka-kun," Rinko told him, "You can call us by our given names: I'm Rinko and he's Nanjiroh." At Tezuka's hesitant look, she smiled and added, "It's more familiar that way, don't you think?"

After another small bow, Tezuka nodded and replied, "I will do that, Rinko-san."

Nanjiroh cleared his throat loudly, unwilling to give up on the topic so easily. "Then what's the deal with your arm, kid? I don't see a sling, so you didn't actually break it, right?"

"No, I only overstrained my joints and muscles."

"What about your other arm?"

Ryoma answered for him again, "He's a left-handed player."

"Huh, really? That's a shame," Nanjiroh stuffed his hands inside his yukatta and squinted one eye at the young captain, "You might want to think about putting your other arm to use."

"Don't be ridiculous, old man. You can't just become a right-handed player overnight," his son argued.

"You can if you don't want to be a handicapped player the rest of your life!"

"It's not for life. He just needs to let it heal."

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't hurt to have a back-up plan, now does it? How long is it gonna take to heal?"

This time the senior was able to reply, "The doctor said a few months."

The elder Echizen's eyes widened. "A few months?-! Mataku! Kid, are you even gonna make it to the Nationals?"

"He will," Ryoma snapped in a tone that broached no argument.

"Did the doctor give you any medication for your arm?" Nanako questioned.

"Yes he did," Tezuka responded, "I also will be starting physical therapy sessions soon."

"I'm glad. I actually wanted to go watch the tournament yesterday, but I couldn't get away from work. Inoue-san told me it was a great game. That you were amazing."

"The whole team gave their best."

"Hey kid, what about we test out your right arm right now?" Nanjiroh suggested while nudging Tezuka's arm with his elbow.

"Hey old man, why don't you drop it already?" Echizen commanded sharply while shooting his father a dirty look.

"Man, touchy aren't we, seishounen? When'd you become his personal bodyguard?"

"When'd you become hard of hearing?"

"You little—"

"Nanjiroh," Rinko jumped in before things got too far. She wasn't so much as concerned about her husband and son coming to blows, but rather, she was more worried about frightening their guest, who had something akin to a bewildered look on his face. The other boy might not realize that for all the apparent hostility between father and son, their heated exchanges rarely had any true substance or lasting consequences. "If you want to play so badly, why don't you play with Ryoma instead? I'll let you guys know when dinner's ready. Nanako-san, I could finish up myself, you could stay and watch them play if you'd like."

"Really? Thank you, obasama!"

Brightening up instantly at his wife's suggestion, Nanjiroh tried to mask his reaction by sighing loudly in feigned disappointment. "It's a bit of a consolation prize, but if you say so, honey. Come on, seishounen, put the kitty down and grab your racket. Let's show kid-captain here how I beat your ass on a daily basis."

Echizen frowned, overcome with a sudden sense of reluctance. "I don't wanna play today," he stated quietly.

Astonished, Nanjiroh immediately cried, "What?-! Why not?-!"

His son shrugged, feeling Tezuka's eyes on him.

"What're you? Shy all of a sudden?" his father went on to say, "It's not like kid-captain here's never watched you play before. He's probably seen you play more than I have." When there was no response, the older man folded his arms across his chest and then bent forward to peer closely at him. "Wait, don't tell me, you're scared of losing in front of him?"

"Don't be stupid," was the grumpy answer. "He's seen me lose plenty of times."

Startled, Nanjiroh drew back, his eyes widening. "What? When? Against who?" he demanded. This was definitely the first time he's heard of his son losing to someone in tennis since they came to Japan. Even though Ryoma was not exactly the chatty type when it came to his father, Nanjiroh always managed to get the most current stats on him when it came to his tennis matches, whether it was directly from the horse's mouth or through some other indirect route, such as from his wife or his niece or even from that Pro-tennis reporter guy who liked to keep him up-to-date on his son's progress for some reason. Therefore, he found it somewhat hard to believe that such a relevant piece of information should have escaped both him and his sources.

In response, Ryoma simply nodded his head in the direction of the other boy, who felt like a laboratory specimen once again when both Nanjiroh and his niece zeroed in on him. "You've won against him, Tezuka-kun?" Nanako asked in wonder.

The older boy nodded. "Amazing," she breathed. "I didn't think anyone other than uncle could beat Ryoma-san."

"Don't be silly, Nanako," Nanjiroh replied automatically, though in a rather distracted tone, "there're plenty of people out there who could whip this brat's ass. He just hasn't met them yet. Still…," he looked Tezuka up and down in interest, "You must be pretty damn good, kid."

Tezuka wasn't sure what to say to that; he was thankfully spared when the man continued with, "Damn, now I want to play you even more. Hey, seishounen," this was directed at Ryoma, "were you playing seriously or were you guys just screwing around?"

"I always play seriously," Echizen retorted testily, accompanying his words with a glare.

"You played with your left hand, didn't you?"

"Of course! Stop asking stupid questions!"

"Sheesh, what crawled up your ass today? Is it that time of the month?"

"You're the one who's asking a bunch of stupid questions!"

"Calm down, I just find this fascinating, that's all."

"What's so fascinating about it? We played and he won, end of story."

"How many times?"

"What?"

"Was it just one game?"

Irritated, Ryoma rolled his eyes and bit out impatiently, "No. What difference does it make?"

"No difference, no difference. It's just interesting, that's all." He beamed at Tezuka. "I look forward to playing against you, boy."

With a small nod, Tezuka conceded, "I doubt I would be much of a challenge to you, Nanjiroh-san."

"Oh yeah, that's a given, but I'm sure it'll still be fun, fun, fun. You might not know this, boy, but I could count on one hand the number of times this kid here was beat by someone within his age group. And I don't even need the whole hand. And for each person he's lost to, he only lost to them once. That's all. To think that you've actually beaten him more than _once_…you must be pretty special."

At a further loss as to what he was supposed to say to that, Tezuka emitted a sound that resembled, "Uhn" and then was saved from having to think of something more verbally eloquent than that by Echizen, who was so thoroughly peeved by the course of the conversation at this point that he actually chose to overcome his earlier hesitation by cutting in with, "Hey, old man, are we gonna play or not?"

"Eh? You changed your mind?"

With a dark scowl, Ryoma handed Karupin over to Tezuka. Though the senior and the cat had been previously acquainted, due to the brevity of that introduction, the two of them found themselves staring at each other with slightly wide-eyed expressions at being thrust together again so abruptly and without any warning. Meanwhile, Echizen had dumped his sports bag on the floor and wrenched open the zipper to pull out his racket. Without so much as a second glance behind, he headed off towards the tennis court, his features frozen in petulance.

"You're in for a treat, kid-captain," Nanjiroh happily informed the taller boy before bounding after his son, whistling a merry tune the whole way.

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"What the hell was that?-!" the ex-tennis pro yelled across the court at his progeny five minutes later. Despite the fact that he had won by scoring consecutive service aces, he was anything but pleased about it. Fireworks practically exploded in front of his eyes when instead of responding, his son simply turned and walked away. "YOU CALL THAT TENNIS?-!" he continued to bellow madly, "THAT WAS THE MOST PATHETIC GAME OF TENNIS I'VE EVER PLAYED!"

"Good for you," Echizen mumbled as he went over to Tezuka and exchanged his racket for his cat.

"Echizen," the young captain began but fell silent again at the warning look the other boy shot him.

Meanwhile, Nanjiroh had reached them and while pointing his racket like a weapon at Ryoma, demanded, "Hey, are you listening to me, boy? You didn't even _try_ to return my serves!"

In annoyance, his son replied impatiently, "You won, didn't you? Isn't that what you wanted to show him?"

Raising his voice again, his father shot back, "I didn't say to make it _easy_! What're you? Insulting me?"

"I already said I didn't want to play."

"Then you should've stuck to your guns instead of pulling some half-assed stunt like you just did! Man, that was so unsatisfying!"

The freshman just glanced wordlessly off to the side as he continued to stroke his cat's back. His father stared at him for a moment more, his face scrunched up in displeasure, before finally expelling a breath of frustration and asking, "What're you, sick or something?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

With his brow deeply furrowed, Nanjiroh continued to stare at his son as he tried to figure out what was the underlying problem. Grant it, there'd been times where Ryoma had to be cajoled into playing against his old man, but once he was actually on the court, he would instantly get into the spirit of the game and give it his all. Especially since he harbored the fervent goal of defeating his father one day. It was highly odd for him to be so stubbornly unenthusiastic. _What the heck's going on?_ the elder Echizen wondered. A thought struck him then, and he glanced over curiously at Tezuka. Resting his racket against one shoulder, Nanjiroh cocked his head to one side and hummed contemplatively.

Not liking the strange expression on his father's face one bit, Ryoma said to Tezuka, "Let's go in; dinner's probably ready."

"Hey, brat, don't think I'm just gonna let this go—"

"No, since that would be out of character for you," Ryoma grumbled under his breath.

"I heard that. You owe me a game, seishonen. A good one."

"Whatever. See, mom's even coming out to call us, dinner's ready."

As the two boys went to meet up with Rinko who was standing on the back porch beckoning at them, Nanako came up behind her uncle and asked, "Do you suppose Ryoma-san's feeling under the weather?"

Scoffing, Nanjiroh answered, "He's under something. I doubt the weather is it."

His niece cocked her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean, uncle?"

He flashed a quick grin at her and only replied cryptically, "We'll see."

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Dinner at the Echizen household was never a peaceful and easy-going affair since it provided the only opportunity in the entire day for Nanjiroh to pester his son while Ryoma had to stay and put up with it. That is not to say that the freshman was some kind of helpless victim to these verbal challenges; in fact, he put up quite a good fight against them. For every sarcastic quip or pointed question delivered, the boy would counterattack with an equally barbed retort. Unlike their tennis matches, Ryoma was usually the victor in these mealtime spars, especially since the outcome of the game was based on which one of them lost their temper first. From years of practice, Echizen had long discovered the perfect strategy in defeating his father as far as this game was concerned: when words no longer worked, the boy would erect a wall of stony silence, which was his most effective weapon. There were times when he would actually even skip the first tactic and go straight for the kill. Nothing made his father lose his cool faster than to come up against that wall since there was no way of countering it. After all, it was no skin off Echizen's back if he didn't converse with his father during dinner, but for the old man, it was like torture. There was nothing more frustrating than to see his "victim" find a way to wiggle out of his clutches even though he remained right there in front of him. What made it worse, of course, was that sometimes, to rub it in, Ryoma would sit there and stare down his father with an almost smug look while he continued to _not_ reply to anything the man said. Eventually, Nanjiroh would become so aggravated that he'd start yelling at his son, prompting his wife to admonish him, which would basically be the ultimate sign of his complete defeat in the game.

Ryoma only wished that he had remembered to mention his strategy to Tezuka.

When they sat down to a dinner of spaghetti with pork cutlet, the elder Echizen was uncharacteristically quiet, letting his wife and niece do most of the talking. Right from the start Ryoma had a feeling his dad was up to no good, that he was simply waiting and bidding his time. In the mean time, the two women asked polite, non-intrusive questions about Tezuka's family, his tennis history, and his academic goals—harmless topics of conversation for getting to know someone. Since Echizen already knew about all of that and more, he would only occasionally join in on the conversation with a few comments of his own, spending most of the time instead with one eye on his dad, who returned his wary looks with disarmingly lazy smiles topped with a quirked eyebrow or two. The freshman wasn't fooled, of course, and sure enough, towards the end of the meal when there was a short lull in the conversation, Nanjiroh began his interrogation, as he had promised.

"So, kid-captain, the brat tells me you've been tutoring him?"

Caught in the middle of chewing, the senior paused for just a millisecond before swallowing his mouthful. Inclining his head slightly, he replied, "I try to help in what little way I can."

"Ah, that's right, Tezuka-kun," Rinko said, "I was going to thank you for doing that."

"It really is no trouble, Rinko-san."

"Really? What subject?" Nanjiroh continued with.

"He seems to have the most trouble with math."

"He's always had top marks in math."

"Oyaji—" Ryoma began in a warning tone, just as Tezuka answered, "It takes him a longer amount of time to finish the assignments."

"You telling me every time he comes crawling home in the middle of the night, it was because of homework?"

"Stop exaggerating, old man. There's no 'every time'. And I already told you, that time was because we were practicing."

"I was asking kid-captain, brat. What about last night?"

"I apologize for that," Tezuka said, "We fell asleep. I underestimated how tired I was."

"So you're saying he was at your house the whole night?"

"Nanjiroh," his wife sighed.

"Rinko, they're teenagers! They could be hiding anything."

"Hiding?" Tezuka asked slightly confused. "May I ask what you mean by that, Nanjiroh-san?"

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point: are you covering for him?"

"Covering for him?"

Narrowing his eyes at Tezuka in a fierce expression, Nanjiroh questioned in a dead-serious tone, "Are you trying to hide the fact that this kid has been seeing some girl?"

Echizen rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I already told you—"

His father held one hand to silence him and then pointed the other at Tezuka. "You. Answer."

Inwardly, Tezuka breathed a small sigh of relief. Echizen had mentioned to him about his father's suspicions so he had expected where the line of questioning would eventually lead, but the first few questions had caused him a bit of worry since they were rather misleading. Now that the elder Echizen went back on course, as it was, he could answer with the utmost confidence. "Not at all."

"What about when he went out on the weekend? He said he was with you, is that true?"

"Hai."

"It was just the two of you?"

"Hai."

"You didn't meet up with any girls?"

Tezuka shook his head. "No."

"What about at school?"

"At school?"

"You see him with any girls at school?"

"Why are you asking him that?" Echizen demanded, incredulous.

"He's your captain, isn't it? He would know these things."

"That makes absolutely no sense."

"So you're saying you _have_ met with girls without his knowledge?"

"I'm just saying that's a stupid question to ask someone who does not follow me around school every hour of the day."

"He might have heard something. So did you, kid-captain?"

"Uh, to the best of my knowledge, Echizen talks with both male and female students."

"Is there any particular _female_ student he talks especially more often with?"

"Anata, I think…." Rinko started to say but her husband immediately shook his head and said, "Just a bit more, honey. I'm getting closer."

"Closer to nothing," his son grumbled.

"What about it, boy?" Nanjiroh continued to ask Tezuka. "You see him sneaking around with any girl in particular?"

"I am certain I have not."

"What about the old lady's grand-daughter?"

"Sakuno-san? But, she is sort of associated with the team, because of her relationship with sensei, so we do see a lot of her, along with Osakada, her friend."

"So they do spend a lot of time together?"

"I have only seen them together with everybody else."

"Be honest now, is he seeing her on the sly?"

"I don't think so."

"You know they went on a date?"

"That was not a date!" Echizen reiterated testily.

"I didn't hear that it was date," Tezuka supplied.

"Anybody else?" Nanjiroh pressed on.

"To the best of my knowledge, no."

"Tell the truth, have you guys gone clubbing or to karaoke bars?"

"Absolutely not."

"And after practice, he goes straight to your house? No detours?"

"We do go eat out sometimes, but usually, we just go back to my place."

"So he's just been hanging out at your house and with you alone on weekends all this time?"

"Yes."

Nanjiroh frowned. "I don't believe you."

"Then why bother asking him if you're not going to believe a word he says?" Echizen pointed out irritably.

"Why do you think Tezuka-kun's lying, uncle?" Nanako asked. "Everything he's said has sounded very reasonable to me."

"And to me as well," his wife added with a shrewd look at her husband.

"Because I smell something fishy here!" the elder Echizen complained. "I know this brat." He nodded his head in the direction of his son. "This isn't like him. He's hiding something."

"That is a bit over-reactive and paranoid of you, isn't it, honey? Why is it so hard to believe that Ryoma simply enjoys spending time with his friend? Not to mention the fact that they're on the same team; and with Tezuka-kun being the captain, they probably have a lot to talk about," Rinko suggested.

Her husband snorted. "I'm still not convinced he's not secretly seeing some girl and he just doesn't want me to know because he knows he'll never hear the end of it."

"I already don't hear the end of it," his son retorted.

Nanjiroh waggled his finger in front of Ryoma's face. "The more you fight me, the more I believe I'm right. After all, you do have my good looks and a small portion of my irresistible masculinity and prowess. I've seen the way some of the girls at your school look at you. Put that together with the fact that you've probably hit puberty already, if not your growth spurt, it's just an equation for danger."

"Nanjiroh!" Rinko gasped. "That's hardly the appropriate thing to say in front of Ryoma's friend!"

"Oh please, every kid goes through that. No need to be embarrassed. By the looks of kid-captain, I would say he knows exactly what I'm talking about. You probably have to beat 'em off with a bat, don't you?"

Tezuka could only blink and utter, "Eto…."

"Back to what I was saying, so who is it, kid-captain? Who's he seeing? I didn't think you'd go so far as to _lie _for him, but you're not very good at that. I could tell _you're _even hiding something from me. You can't tell me he spends all his time at your house, cuz unless he has a thing for _you_, I find that hard to believe."

"That's enough," Echizen snapped, then clenching his teeth, spat out, "Would you quit it with your nonsense already? I told you, again and again, I am NOT seeing any stupid girl! I'm not a crazy perverted skirt-chaser like you, alright? So will you just shut up about it?"

His dad blinked at him, eyes wide with astonishment. "You lost," he stated in a bewildered tone. "I must've hit close to home. But what's home?"

His eyes narrowing at his father in a venomous glare, Echizen then turned to the boy beside him and demanded, "Hey, are you done eating yet?"

"Uh, yes," was the hasty response.

"Mom, we're going upstairs. You can leave the dishes for me to wash later."

"Don't worry about it, honey. Tezuka-kun, I'm sorry if they made you uncomfortable. Especially Nanjiroh. He could be such a child sometimes."

"Rinko! I was just trying to find out the truth!" Nanjiroh argued, indignant.

Tezuka shook his head. "Not at all, Rinko-san. Thank you for your delicious dinner. But, perhaps we should stay and help you…."

"Oh I don't think that's a good idea. Don't worry about it. Just go. I'll bring tea and snacks up to you later on."

"That's not necessary, mom," Echizen answered, and then said to Tezuka, "Come on."

The young captain bowed to the three adults at the table and excused himself before hurrying after the freshman, Karupin following closely behind.

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As soon as he slammed his bedroom door shut and locked it, Echizen tossed his bags on the floor and exclaimed, "He's such an annoying idiot!"

Tezuka stood by the door for a moment, taking in the sight of Ryoma's bedroom. Though it was very different from his room, it was more like a typical teenager's bedroom, with posters on the wall, random articles of clothing strewn all over the floor, video game controls unwound, and the bed unmade. When Echizen was younger, his mother used to clean his room for him, but as he grew older, she decided to respect his sense of privacy, therefore, she rarely came into his room uninvited, even if it was to tidy it up. Rather, she would just remind him to do it himself when it became too much of a mess. It wasn't as bad as some teenagers' room, but it was a definite contrast to the pristine neatness that was Tezuka's room.

Expelling an air of frustration, Ryoma plopped onto his bed, his cat jumping up on it after him. He grabbed Karupin and pressed him against his chest with one hand, while stroking his fur with the other, causing the feline to purr happily.

"He wasn't that bad," Tezuka said as he walked over to sit on the bed next to him.

"He's impossible."

"The two of you are obviously very close."

Lifting his head, Ryoma flashed the other boy a look of disbelief. "Where'd you get that from?"

Tezuka lifted one shoulder and smiled. "I could tell. Although it was a bit surprising at first, seeing the way the two of you interact. It is very different from how I am with my family."

"That's because your grandparents are actually normal human beings."

"I don't think it's a bad thing to be able to exchange words with your parent the way you and Nanjiroh-san do. It's a rarity in our culture."

"You could have him if you want him."

Chuckling, Tezuka leaned back so that he was lying side by side with Echizen. "Do you think he's figured it out? About us?"

"Who knows. Once he gets a crazy idea in his head, he rarely lets it go. He'll probably continue to think I'm going out with some girl for the rest of his life."

"Do you think he'll be…upset? If he finds out it's me instead?"

Echizen shrugged. "I don't care." He thought about it. "But I don't think he'll be upset in the way you think he will be."

"How so?"

"It doesn't matter. You did handle him pretty well though." He smirked at Tezuka. "You're a pretty good liar when you want to be."

"I didn't lie. If you remember, everything I said was true. I was only fortunate that he didn't ask the right questions."

"Ha. And what if he did?"

"If push came to shove, I suppose, I would have to tell the truth. I don't think it's a good idea for me to lie to your parents on our first meeting. Not to mention, I really am not a good liar."

"It's a good thing the old man was obsessed with his own theory then."

The senior suddenly changed the subject. "Echizen, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"The game you just played with your father…."

"Oh that. What's the big deal? I just didn't feel like playing?"

"Is it because of me?"

"No," the quickness of his response told Tezuka that it wasn't quite true, but seeing that the other boy's lips were tightly pursed in annoyance, he decided to just let it go for now.

They fell silent for a heartbeat, before Tezuka sighed and remarked, "Interesting day."

"Mmm. I'm still a bit amazed that the senpai-tachi knew about us all along yet they were actually capable of keeping quiet. Who knew they had that kind of self-control?"

"Though you do know they won't let you off so easily?"

"I'm not too worried. I know they won't go overboard, out of respect for you, if nothing else. Good thing you're the captain of the team, huh?"

A corner of Tezuka's lips quirked up at that. "I guess you could call it a side benefit. Not that there's many of them." He paused and then asked, "By the way, since I came and your parents met me, do you think you're still grounded?"

Echizen flashed a lopsided smile at the other boy. "So you're worried about that, are you?"

The young captain glanced away casually as he shrugged one shoulder. "It's just a thought."

Chuckling softly, Ryoma sat up and gently moved Karupin off to the side before bending down to close the distance between himself and Tezuka. Before their lips could meet, however, the senior stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think we should do anything with your dad just downstairs. He could come knocking on the door any minute, right?"

"I'm not doing anything. I'm just kissing you."

"Then you should remove my glasses."

Flashing a wide grin, Echizen did as told and then sealed the small space between their lips in a fervent kiss.

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Meanwhile, downstairs, Echizen's mom and cousin were in the kitchen by the sink washing the dishes while his dad was standing in the dining room doorway, looking up the staircase at the direction where the two boys had gone. He rested one arm on the apex his yukatta's opening while he stroked his chin with his other hand, deep in thought. Seeing that her husband had been standing there for a good ten minutes, Rinko eventually came out to scold him.

"You are not thinking about bothering them, are you?" she inquired warily.

"No, there's no point. The brat locked the door."

"Then would you come in here and help with the dishes and stop standing there and staring like that?"

After few seconds, Nanjiroh finally relented, turning away to go to the kitchen. But instead of helping out like his wife asking to, he only leaned against the doorway, his arm still in his yukatta and his other hand still scratching his chin. "I think I know what's going on," he mused.

"What now?" his ever-suffering wife asked in an exasperated tone.

"I think…I've had it all wrong."

"So you finally admit it? Now would you stop harassing our son about it?"

"No, I have it all wrong because it wasn't a girl he was seeing. It was him. That kid-captain."

Both women paused in their work to stare at him. Nanjiroh chuckled then, shaking his head. "I can't believe this. Don't you see? The stupid brat has a _crush_ on kid-captain."

"A crush?" his niece repeated in disbelief. "On Tezuka-kun?"

"Yeah, yeah! It all makes sense now! That's why he's been spending so much time with the boy!"

"Why can't they just be friends?" This from Rinko. "Simple as that?"

"Oh please, honey, he's friends with that kid who's come around the house a few times before…."

"You mean, Momo-kun?"

"Yeah! He's never acted like that in front of that kid, no matter how much I hassled them. He was downright defensive today. Overprotective to the max. He practically jumped down my throat at the end there when I suggested that he liked the kid. I wasn't even half-serious and he already had his claws fully extended. He actually lost his cool! When did he ever do that?"

Rinko was unconvinced. "That still doesn't mean…."

"The way I figure it, the kid-captain has no clue that the brat has a crush on him. And the brat probably is scared to death that he would find out. So that's why he got all attack-mode on me when I got too close to the truth."

"That doesn't sound like Ryoma-san," Nanako said doubtfully.

"What part of any of this sounds like him? That's why I thought, initially, that he was secretly dating some girl! Teenagers in love always act a little weird, especially in front of the object of their affection!"

"I somehow cannot see Ryoma-san as a lovesick teenager."

"That's because we've never seen him like this before. It's just too new, but trust me, if you think about it, it makes complete sense. The only thing I don't understand is why kid-captain would put up with a squirt like him."

"There's nothing wrong with Ryoma," his wife countered.

"Honey, you ever met our kid? He's an anti-social, grumpy, unpleasant, and unfriendly little twerp. I've seen him with the other kids on the team, he's not much different at school than when he's at home. I mean, he wasn't even very nice to that Momo kid even though they use to walk home together all the time and he's been over here."

"Maybe if you would stop aggravating him like you always do, he would be able to have a better disposition."

Her husband waved his hand dismissively at that. "He's not a baby anymore, he could handle it. He's always been able to handle it. Not to mention, it's my way of helping him build character."

"Well I wish you would stop doing that since it's quite obnoxious."

"Don't worry, he likes it." Ignoring his wife's look of incredulity, Nanjiroh went on to say, "Yes, yes, that must be it!" He barked a quick laugh. "The brat has a crush on his little captain!" he shouted gleefully.

His wife immediately hushed him, pressing her finger to her lips. "Keep it down! I warn you, Nanjiroh, you better not say anything to them. _Especially_ Tezuka-kun."

"Ah," grinning broadly, her husband went over and started nuzzling against her. "So you believe me?"

"It doesn't matter whether it's the truth or not. It's still a sensitive subject. If it's the way you think it is, then how do you think Ryoma would feel if you told Tezuka-kun without his consent? And if it's _not_ the way you think it is, imagine how horribly awkward it would be for the two of them to have that kind of misunderstanding. It's no joking matter, Nanjiroh."

"Alright, alright, don't worry, I promise I won't say a word to kid-captain. But you know it's humanly impossible for me to make that kind of promise in the case of the brat."

His wife pointed a finger at him threateningly. "You try to control yourself. If you go overboard, I will throw away _all_ of your magazines. Every single one of them. I know where you keep every single one of them. And don't think you could just buy more because I will keep on throwing them away no matter how many more you bring home."

Nanjiroh was aghast. "Is that really necessary?-!"

"I am very serious, Echizen Nanjiroh."

"That's a cruel threat, woman!"

"And I will follow through with it too. You know I will."

"My God, nothing's worth that kind of sacrifice!"

"I'm glad to hear that." His wife nodded once firmly and then turned back to the sink.

"Stupid kid," Nanjiroh muttered under his breath.

Watching the two of them, Nanako giggled and then returned to her task. Still thinking about what her uncle had just suggested, she realized that there might be some truth to his words. Although she was more inclined to think that it was the other way around, that Tezuka had secret feelings for her cousin. It was just the way Tezuka looked at him, a certain shine to his eyes. She wondered what her aunt thought but knew better than to discuss the subject in front of her uncle, since that would only serve to flame the fire, and the last thing she wanted was for him to get worked up enough to confront the two boys, despite her aunt's dire threat. She smiled to herself, thinking it would be quite interesting, and actually very cute, if it turned out that that mature-beyond-his-years young captain would be harboring a normal teenage crush on her far-too-serious cousin.

Beside her, Rinko was thinking about the same subject, though not quite in the same way as either her husband or her niece. She wondered why couldn't the two boys just like each other and enjoy each others' company, simple as that. Perhaps there were non-platonic emotions involved, but what did it matter? Spend enough time with someone, eventually various feelings will develop. It was only natural, especially since there was probably some degree of respect and admiration involved, given that both her son and Tezuka were extremely skilled in their shared passion. After meeting Tezuka in person, she was actually relieved that her son chose to spend so much time with someone who was so obviously an excellent role model for kids their age. She knew she had nothing to worry about.

"Damn it!" Nanjiroh's sudden outburst surprised the two women.

"What is it? You scared me half to death!" his wife complained.

"Don't you see? That kid-captain's a _boy_!"

Rinko stared at her husband as if he was an alien. "And?"

"That stupid brat likes a _boy_! Do you know what that means?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It means, if this continues on, he would _never_ bring home a girl! And that means…that means it's all over! What about my dreams of seeing our house overrun by cute high school girls?"

His wife rolled her eyes and decided his statement was not even worthy of a response. Clearly distressed, Nanjiroh started scratching his hair roughly. "He was supposed to be the perfect bait for cute girls! I mean, look at him! Girls already fawn all over him! It would've been great. But instead what does he do? First he scares them off by being all anti-social and mean, and now he's not even gonna _try_ to lure them in."

"Ignore him, Nanako. He's sounding like a perverted old man again," Rinko said to her niece, who only smiled and shook her head.

"This is serious, Rinko! Twice! Twice my hopes and dreams have been dashed! First, the older one decides to leave the entire forest for a tree right at the beginning of high school, and now this one decides to go to an entirely different forest! What am I supposed to do?"

"You should perhaps stop this silliness and finally grow up?"

Nanjiroh suddenly leaned in close to his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to pull her against him so that he could whisper, "I know. Rinko, let's have another one."

His wife immediately drew back in horror. "What?-!"

"No, think about it, third time's the charm. Maybe we'll have a girl this time, and then she could bring home all her cute little girl friends."

"You are being completely ridiculous. Let go of me!"

"Didn't you always want a daughter too?"

"We are not having another child just so you could fulfill some stupid fantasy of yours which I actually find quite offensive!"

"Oh come now, you know I just like to look. I would never, never touch since who could ever compare to my cute and sexy Rin-chan."

"Move your arm, old man."

"Riiiin-chaaaan!"

No matter how much he continued to wheedle and plea, it was no good. His wife had already erected a solid wall of silence in response to his childishness, a trick she had learned from her son.

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**Author's Note**: I debated whether or not to include the brief mention about Ryoma's previously non-existent-if-not-for-the-tenipuri-movie older brother, especially since I haven't seen the movie yet. But I haven't read anywhere that said he _wasn't_ his brother, so I figured I'd just go ahead and mention him and apply a little artistic license to his background. I still find it unbelievable that Ryoma would have a brother, since he seems so much like an only child, but if it turns out Ryoga was all a hoax of some sort in the movie, I could just remove his mention, right?

It's not over yet, folks, won't be over for a while, even if the show is over. Tenipuri will remain alive in my mind as long as inspiration allows, and it's allowing for more chapters in the (hopefully) near future.


	13. Focus: Box of Chocolates

**Author's Note**: Sorry sorry sorry, and sorry that it took so long! There is really nothing more I can say other than sorry and thank you for your patience and patronage!

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**Focus: A Box of Chocolates**

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Life went on.

After the episode with the Seigaku regulars and the Echizen clan, it took some time for Tezuka and Ryoma to finally return to some semblance of the routine they had established prior to the Hyotei tournament. First of all, there was still the issue of Ryoma being grounded, which, much to the freshman's displeasure, wasn't resolved even though he held up his part of the deal by bringing Tezuka home. Overcome by some sudden stroke of stubbornness that came out of nowhere as far as Echizen was considered, his dad refused to budge on the matter; it was both infuriating and perplexing at the same time. The only thing the old man relented on was allowing Tezuka to visit, which was the result of his wife's insistence. Other than that, Ryoma was required to return straight home following practice. Though he was less than pleased about the arrangement, Echizen just swallowed his irritation, too proud to put up an argument.

Little did he know that rather than being motivated by the need to stick to his guns as a parent and to teach his son a lesson, Nanjiroh was adamant about the punishment for another reason entirely. As the ex-tennis pro explained to his wife, he was actually doing it for Tezuka's sake.

"That poor kid has no clue, Rin-chan. I'm doing this for _his_ protection."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I don't keep an eye on them, who knows what the brat will do. Someone's gotta look after kid captain's virtue."

"That is completely ridiculous. Our son is not some kind of predatory pervert."

"Of course he's not, honey, but he's a stupid teenager, and you know how they get when they think they're in love."

Rinko sighed. "Nanjiroh, if it's anything at all, it's probably just hero-worship."

"Yeah, but things could still get outta hand. Who knows what kind of weird fantasies that little brat is harboring."

"You're nuts."

"Nah. I just speak from experience."

"Stop projecting your own creepiness onto our son."

"I'm not! Though it doesn't hurt to take precautions, right? Where's the harm in that?"

Unfortunately for her son and Tezuka, Rinko decided to leave the conversation at that, not wanting to waste any more time on her husband's senseless notions. Consequently, Nanjiroh hardly left the two boys alone during the entire time the senior was over. Since Ryoma closed and locked his bedroom door, barely ten minutes went by before Nanjiroh was knocking and demanding what they were doing. Though Echizen had expected the old man to pester them to _some _degree, he was completely unprepared for the persistent onslaught of his intrusiveness. What was worse were the bizarre little comments his father would mutter under his breath from time to time, usually composed of odd insinuations or remarks about someone's virtue. Much to his immense frustration, he barely got to spend any time alone with Tezuka. Of course any attempt at intimate contact was out of the question, what with his dad knocking on the door almost constantly. Ignoring the noise was to no avail either, as it only increased Nanjiroh's determination.

The elder Echizen's peculiar behavior was also puzzling to Tezuka, who more than once wished that they could go to his own house instead. However, realizing that it was wiser not to give voice to his own thoughts, he instead focused on pacifying Ryoma instead.

By the third day of putting up with Nanjiroh's more psychotic than usual antics, Echizen's already paper-thin tolerance had all but disappeared. He was ready to beat his father to a bloody pulp with his tennis racket. Even his mom and cousin could see the murder in his eyes. Seeing that it was time to put a stop to things before she had a case of patricide on her hands, Rinko finally stepped in and lifted Ryoma's sentence, much to her husband's dismay. Although she had been dissuading her husband from his activities all along, she hadn't really thrown her entire weight behind her words since she was use to her two boys squabbling. Knowing she wasn't entirely serious yet, Nanjiroh was therefore able to continue with his actions. The finality with which she announced her decision changed all that, however. He knew it when his wife meant business, and years of training had conditioned him to know better than to argue with her once her mind was made up. The fact that he, not his wife, was the person who originally handed down the sentence—and therefore should also be the one to lift it—meant nothing. In the Echizen household, when Rinko Echizen truly made a decision, her words became law.

The only condition she asked of her son was that for him to call home whenever he was going to be late, and also to not come home _too_ late as the streets weren't always safe.

Afterwards, less than satisfied with the outcome, her husband charged petulantly, "You're spoiling that kid, Rinko!"

Unperturbed, his wife returned with, "I'm just giving him one less reason to run away from home to escape from his idiotic father."

"Now who's the crazy one? You practically just presented kid-captain on a plate. I should warn the poor boy."

"You will do no such thing. Stop acting like they've never spent time alone. Before he was grounded, they were spending plenty of time alone and Tezuka-kun seems just _fine_."

"That's different! The brat was probably still taking it slow, scoping things out, right? Now though, now that kid-captain's met the family, seishounen's probably thinking, he's like one of us. Their _friendship_ has advanced, you see? So won't it be okay if there was some _accidental_ touching, kind of like, 'oh no, I meant to reach for the pen but somehow, my hand ended up in your lap. But that's okay, right? Cuz we're such close friends now.'"

His wife stared at him in disbelief which was directed at the scenario he had just described. "You are kidding me."

"Of course not! Remember who you're talking to, honey. I'm the old pro; I know all the moves."

Rinko shook her head in disdain. "Sometimes, I wonder why I married you in the first place."

"Remember who I practiced those moves on, Riiin-chaaan," Nanjiroh replied while waggling his eyebrows.

"Ugh. And just because you're a pervert doesn't mean our son is one as well."

"Nah, the kid's got my blood in him. Trust me, he's a little pervert."

Thankfully, Ryoma was entirely ignorant of these conversations his parents were having; if he had known, one could only imagine what kind of world-ending uproar they would have produced.

Despite the fact that he and Tezuka were now free to resume their activities at his house, there were still other minor bumps on the road to be dealt with. After all, now that the cat was partially out of the bag, life could scarcely be expected to return _entirely _to normal. While their teammates did try to hold on to their promise of discretion, there was still the occasional slip, the culprit of which was usually Eiji or Momoshiro, whom found the effort _not_ to over-react every time Tezuka and Ryoma were anywhere near the vicinity of each other extremely taxing. For some reason, it had been easier for them to feign ignorance about their captain's secret relationship with their star rookie prior to their little session that Monday. Following that, however, it was as if the imaginary shackles that had been keeping them under control were suddenly removed. As a result, whenever the opportunity presented itself, Momo and Eiji couldn't help but react accordingly.

Though Tezuka was grounded from participating in practice by Ryuzaki, he still made brief visits to check on his team's progress once in a while. While he never stayed more than a quarter of an hour each time, whenever he appeared, the two boisterous Regulars would instantly grab on to Echizen with excitement and practically holler the blatantly obvious fact that the captain had arrived. Some form of inquisition would follow soon after, albeit in an only slightly lower volume, usually consisting of what the two of them were going to do afterwards. At times, they did this regardless of who else might be around and within earshot. Luckily for all involved, even if they overheard, most of the other Seigaku team members would probably never realize the meaning behind their words. After all, who would ever imagine that captain Tezuka was going out with the young tennis prodigy? For those who made it a personal mission to follow everything that involved Echizen, however, the task of unraveling the significance of Eiji and Momo's mysterious behavior and words was probably less daunting.

Of course, one such person was Ryuzaki Sakuno, whose main pastime was indeed all things Echizen. She wasn't just observant of the freshman, she was also especially aware of anything that had to do with him. Her ears had become quite good at catching conversations where his name was mentioned even when she was a distance away. While the same should be said of Tomoka, due to her rowdy nature, she was not as keen as her friend. A fortunate fact for Tezuka and Echizen to be sure. What also worked in Sakuno's favor was how much of a polar opposite she was from Tomo, since it was usually the shy flowers whom choose to say little and remained in the background listening and watching that learned the most. Like Fuji and Inui, she too had initially noticed Ryoma's uncharacteristic attention toward the young captain. However, she was never able to form any meaningful deductions about his behavior, since she was barely able to catch anything more than tiny glimpses. Being a member of the girls' tennis club instead of the boys', she lacked the luxury of two whole practice periods six days a week to gather information. Instead, she had only the brief interim prior to the start of her own practice and during the actual tournaments. Consequently, when Tezuka called on Ryoma during their lunch period, she only had the very vague notion that something was going on. This notion was further reinforced by Momoshiro's rather cryptic comments at the time, but her concern for the freshman prevented her from developing the idea to any concrete degree.

She was forced to revisit that idea when in addition to catching snippets of her two senpais aforementioned exchanges with Ryoma, she became the witness to a few peculiar outbursts that took place at the team's celebration party at Kawamura's family's restaurant. Of which Kikumaru and Momoshiro were once again the instigators. The first instance occurred when Tezuka and Ryoma happened to enter the restaurant together. Happy at the freshman's arrival, Sakuno started to approach the freshman when she overheard Eiji laughing and commenting about how adorable it was for the two of them to arrive together. The remark made little sense to her but it was odd enough that she remembered it.

Then there was Momo's curious insistence that the captain and Ryoma took a picture together, to which Eiji joined in on the demand as well. Though it was only natural for the team captain and one of his star players to be in a picture together, what she couldn't figure out was why the two upperclassmen were practically falling over themselves cackling about it. In return, Ryoma looked positively disgruntled while Tezuka…well…Sakuno had never been any good at reading the older boy. To her, the only expression the captain ever showed was one of sternness. But she wasn't the only one to think that Kikumaru and Momoshiro were acting strange. It was noticeable enough that even Horio leaned over to ask her surreptitiously what was so funny.

Finally, at the end of the party when everyone was starting to disperse, she overheard Eiji asking the captain and Ryoma what they were going to do later. His exact words were, "Sooo, any special _plans_? Going over to Tezuka's house _again_?" The words and especially his insinuating tone was enough to make her stop in the middle of the conversation she was having with her grandmother and turn to look in their direction, uncertain that she had heard correctly. She wondered immediately when Ryoma had ever gone over to the captain Tezuka's house to begin with and most importantly, _why_. The only other person she ever noticed Ryoma spending time out of school with was Momoshiro. When then did he develop a close enough friendship with Tezuka to visit his home more than once? Not that there was anything particularly _wrong_ with Ryoma becoming friends with the captain, but putting everything else together, she was beginning to get the distinct feeling that she was missing a bigger picture.

Not surprisingly, Sakuno would eventually figure it all out on her own, though it would take her innocent mind much longer time to come to the right conclusion. As a starting point, she decided from that day on that she would have to expand her observational net to include the young captain as well.

Naturally, Tezuka and Echizen had not a clue that there was now an additional member to their audience. For Echizen, it was exasperating enough having to deal with Kikumaru and Momoshiro and their steady stream of questions, innuendos and meaningful looks or nudges. The two upperclassmen were at their worst whenever they got him alone since with no one else around, they were able to throw all caution to the wind in terms of their jokes. From time to time even Inui joined in by putting forth inquiries of his own, though he was much easier to put up with due to his rather clinically detached attitude. At his worse, he was just bothersome. At Eiji and Momo's worse, on the other hand, they seemed like they were literally channeling his dad which was aggravating to the extreme.

Fortunately for Echizen, his troubles only stemmed from three of his seven senpais. While Kaidoh and Kawamura were just as curious as the other three, the former was too proud to vocalize his curiosity while Kawamura was too polite. Oishi had his own hands full, what with taking on Tezuka's duties during his recuperative period and keeping an eye on his tennis partner at the same time to prevent Eiji from getting out of hand with the teasing. He and Fuji were often the ones to step in and provide Ryoma to escape from his three senpais.

Tezuka had it much easier in comparison. No one made even one single mention of his relationship with Echizen to him, with the exception of Fuji who only did it once, and that was at lunch time the next day after the incident at McDonald's. They had been talking about student club activities when, at the end of the discourse, Fuji remarked quietly, "You could have at least told Oishi and I."

Caught off guard, Tezuka was momentarily silent. He was overcome with a pang of guilt and when he eventually opened his mouth to respond, he was stopped by the casual wave of the tensai's hand. With a kind smile, the other boy brushed away his concerns by saying, "It's alright, Tezuka." He then proceeded to quickly change the subject.

But Tezuka couldn't just leave it at that. At the end of the lunch period, when they were about to depart for their own individual classes, the senior stopped his friend by calling out to him. As Fuji waited expectantly with his head tilted to one side, Tezuka explained, "I wasn't sure how to bring up the topic."

Fuji nodded in understanding, satisfied with the answer, and offered a simple, "Okay," in return.

Considering how much worse things could have been, Tezuka and Ryoma were more or less relieved that they were able to for the most part pick up right where they left off afterwards. When practice was over, Echizen would go over to the senior's house by himself. Now that Tezuka left school so much earlier than him, they decided that there was no sense in meeting at the school library. At times, Momoshiro would even join Ryoma on the walk home. When not in the presence of Eiji, who served to spur him on with his similar sense of jest, Momo was actually quite subdued, even in his inquisitiveness.

"You really like the captain a lot, don't you?" the second year asked one day as he accompanied Echizen on his walk.

With an exasperated sigh, the freshman grumbled, "That again?"

"No, no, I don't mean it that way. Well, I know I tease a lot, but that's because Eiji-senpai puts me up to it half the time."

"Uh-huh," was the blatantly skeptical reply.

"Alright, I'm guilty too. All kidding aside though…it must be nice."

Echizen looked at him questioningly. "What is?"

"You know, being with someone you like."

The younger boy shrugged and replied, "I guess it is."

"It is. It is. I…." Momo hesitated until Echizen prompted him with, "You what?"

Dropping his voice, the second year said, "We're just talking, right? Just the two of us now? I mean, you promise not to tell anyone?"

Arching an eyebrow, Ryoma teased, "Should I?"

"Aw come on, you know we're just joking around because we're a team, a unit, you know? And you have to admit you dating the captain _is_ a pretty big deal."

"Hmmph."

"And we've been pretty good, haven't we? I mean, I know we bug you a lot, but we always keep it on the lowdown." When Echizen was about to argue that point, Momoshiro immediately amended it with, "Okay, we usually _try_ to keep it on the lowdown. I promise from now on I'll cut back a bit, okay? I have no control over Eiji-senpai, but I'll try not to make things worse when he's on a roll."

Echizen's only response to that was another grunt. They continued to walk in silence for a bit more, and when it seemed like the other boy wasn't about to say anything more unless urged, Ryoma rolled his eyes and said, "So? What is it?"

"Alright, this is for real, right? We're not playing 10 questions anymore."

The freshman nodded, though he was beginning to grow a bit impatient. With a satisfied smile, Momoshiro then glanced around cautiously before lowering his head so that he could whisper to Echizen, "See, there's this person I like…."

"Tachibana's sister?"

"No!" The vehemence of the boy's denial made it clear that Echizen had guessed right. Instead of prodding, however, the freshman only flashed a small knowing smile too quick for even his friend to catch.

"Look," Momoshiro went on, trying to regain his calm, "Who it is, isn't the point, okay? I just wanted to know…like with you and the captain, how did you guys go about…you know…beginning? Even with the kissing thing…who…who initiated that?"

After a short moment of contemplation, Echizen lifted one shoulder nonchalantly and answered, "I dunno. It just happened."

"Hah?" Momo responded in disbelief. "That's it? Didn't one of you make the first move?"

"I don't remember."

His friend frowned. "You're no help."

"Why would I be? I never said I was an expert."

"Yeah, but you've gotten much farther than most of us and we're all older than you!"

"It just happened, what am I supposed to do about it?" Upon seeing the unsatisfied scowl on the other boy's face, Echizen sighed and added, "Why're you thinking so much about it, Momo-senpai?"

"I'm not! I just don't know how…it's awkward, you know? I don't know how it is with you and the captain but…and not to mention, it's a little different with a girl. I mean, I'm expected to take the initiative, right? You probably had it easier cuz you are both guys. I don't even know how I'm gonna ask her out. I mean, it _seems_ like she's interested, but I'm not really sure."

"You had your chance the other day, but you had to drag me along."

"I panicked, okay? I never…." Momo cut himself off when he realized he just gave himself away. Blushing, he pointedly avoided the freshman's smug look and glanced the other way, going on to say, "Anyway, the point is, I was caught off guard."

"Then don't be next time."

"Next time? Who says there's gonna be a next time? See, that's the thing, maybe now, since she's made her first move, maybe she's expecting _me_ to be the one to call her the next time."

"Then call her."

"No! You don't understand. What if that wasn't even a date? Or what if it was and then I ruined everything by dragging you along? But then that Kamio guy was there too so I guess it wasn't really a date after all…."

Growing weary of Momo's circular reasoning, Echizen interrupted him with, "Momo-senpai, maybe you're making this way too complicated. Why don't you just call her out and this time, don't drag me or anyone else along."

"What if she says no?"

"Then no. So what?"

"'So what?'! So that's called rejection, Echizen! Do you know how devastating that would be?-!"

"It would?"

"Of course! I mean, at least, that's what I've heard. Don't you think you would've been depressed if Tezuka-buchou had rejected you in the first place?"

"I don't know. I never thought of that," Echizen replied honestly.

"Then you guys really had it easy, didn't you? Man, I should just forget the whole thing," Momoshiro groused as he scratched his head roughly. "It's giving me a headache. I should just concentrate on the Regionals and not think of anything else. Tezuka-buchou was right. I don't want to just be the team manager forever. I need to focus. Focus."

Echizen didn't know what else to say to that so he decided to just leave his friend to stew in his own unhappy thoughts. Though the second year's words did succeed in having some affect on him since afterwards, when he was at Tezuka's house, he did the rare thing of actually contemplating about his relationship with the young captain. Oishi's question from a few days before had provided the spark and Momoshiro's subsequent words further fanned the flame. As Echizen looked across the table at Tezuka, who was busy reading his history book and taking notes for a project that was due in two days, he wondered if he should be concerned about Tezuka's feelings as Momo had been about the Tachibana girl. It seemed a rather silly idea to think about it now, especially considering how far they had gone, but obviously since the notion of feelings involved and stated out loud was some sort of big deal, as his senpais had reiterated, perhaps he should give it some degree of consideration.

Tezuka was used to Echizen watching him whenever the younger boy would finish his homework before he did. At first it was a bit disconcerting, to come face to face with those luminous pair of eyes when he happened to just look up. The rather studious gaze would actually make him nervous, and therefore it used to take him a while before he could continue with his homework without constantly checking to see if the other boy was still staring at him. Now, however, he barely noticed it, and only when he happened to glance Echizen's way did he even realize he was being watched. Sometimes, he would even smile and say something to the effect of, "I'm almost done," like he did now. Instead of answering with an "okay" or "take your time" like he usually did however, Echizen stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "I guess I do like you."

Tezuka froze a beat before looking back up and asking uncertainly, "What?"

"Oishi-senpai asked me about it the other day, and Momo-senpai was talking about it again today. I figured I should probably make a decision about it."

Amused and bewildered at the same time, the senior placed his pen down on his notebook and folded his hands in front of him. "You were talking about whether or not you liked me?"

"Something like that. I guess it's important to know, or something. What about you?"

"Me?"

"Have you ever thought about it? How you felt about me?"

"I, um, guess…a little."

Echizen was surprised at that. "Really? Why didn't you say something?"

The senior spread his hands helplessly and shrugged. "I don't know. The…topic…never came up." He frowned. It seemed like the only answer he could ever come up with. "I guess…it would be strange…."

"You think so too? I thought it was weird when Oishi asked me that too. I didn't know it was supposed to be an issue."

"Well, I don't know if you could call it an issue…."

"I mean, it shouldn't really matter, right? We've been doing fine without discussing it."

"True. Though to some people, it is important."

"Really? Hmm. What about you then?"

Tezuka tugged on the cuff of his sleeve and replied carefully, "I'm not sure if important is the right word. But I am glad to hear it." He paused for a beat and then added, "At the same time, even if you hadn't said anything, it really wouldn't make a difference."

"Oh?"

"It wouldn't change how I feel about you," the older boy stated seriously.

For some reason, Ryoma was warmed by the words even though he couldn't resist the temptation to purse his lips in distaste and retort sarcastically, "That's corny, buchou."

Tezuka ducked his head in embarrassment. "It's your fault. You started it," he pointed out accusingly.

"Yeah, but did you have to end it with that?"

"What you said wasn't much better."

"I was just thinking out loud. But that, that was like something out of a love letter."

The senior shot him a dirty look. "Like you would know."

Echizen chuckled and then feigned a knife stab to the heart, to which the senior responded with a roll of his eyes as one side of his lips quirked up in a slight smile. "All right, be quiet," he went on to admonish. "I still have to finish this."

The freshman relented, then folded his arms on the table and rested his head against them while he continued to watch the other boy. It wasn't before long that temptation got the better of him and sitting up, he shifted over to lean against Tezuka's back, slipping his left arm around the senior's front as he buried his face in the area between the boy's shoulder blades. He inhaled deeply; that was something else he liked about Tezuka, the way he smelled. It reminded him of clean towels and bedsheets. He placed his other hand on the middle of Tezuka's right lap, just resting it there in a non-threatening manner. Still, it was enough to distract the older boy, who cleared his throat and said, "You're not helping."

"I'm just breathing," came the muffled reply.

Closing his eyes, Tezuka couldn't help shifting his weight back against Echizen and covering the arm that was embracing him with his own right arm. "That's bad enough."

The small laugh that reverberated against his back caused a sharp thrill to run up Tezuka's spine. "You want me to stop breathing?"

"No, I want you to let me finish my homework." Despite the stern words, there was barely any corresponding emotion to back them up.

Knowing full well he was going to win this battle, Ryoma swiped his tongue seductively across the back of the older boy's neck. "You can finish it later."

"Stop that."

"No," was the instant reply as Ryoma repeated the action again, this time even more slowly and with an even wider path, from one side of Tezuka's neck to the other and then up and around to trace the outer shell of his ear.

That was enough to convince him. Dropping his pen onto his book with finality, Tezuka twisted around in an abrupt motion, capturing the other boy's lips with his own as his freed hand reached up to press Echizen's head closer. Before long they were lying on the floor together, grappling and writhing, as they tried to quickly rid each other of their clothing. They broke apart for just a split second to allow Ryoma to hurriedly crawl over to the bedside drawer. When he returned, he stopped and asked, "Me or you?"

"I don't care," Tezuka replied as he pulled the freshman back on top of him.

"Well, since I'm already in position…" Ryoma said with a smirk before dipping down to meet the senior's lips to continue where they left off.

It didn't take long for him to establish the rhythm that would bring them to their mutual fulfillment. Ryoma was rather proud of the fact that he had become quite an expert on Tezuka's body. He knew the exact spots to lick, kiss and touch that would take Tezuka almost to the brink. As he looked down at the other boy's face, with his eyes closed and mouth open in rapture, Echizen couldn't help smiling and thinking how much he liked this familiarity with each other that they shared. He wasn't one to be sentimental, of course, but he couldn't help the sudden onslaught of affection that he felt at that moment. It was a very weird experience for him. If he was the type to get embarrassed easily, he would probably be blushing crimson by now. Thankfully, he wasn't that type, and he most likely would never give voice to his feelings in any serious, corny manner—wouldn't even know how—so instead of committing any kind of regretful outburst, he simply embraced the senior tighter against him and bestowed another kiss that was rather painfully ardent due to the significance behind it.

O

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Echizen had his first sleepover at Tezuka's house a few days after that. The young captain had been meaning to extend the invitation for some time, but he never got the chance due to one reason or another, mostly because of his own hesitance, a bad trait that he was slowly but surely overcoming with the more time he spent with the other boy. Therefore, when Saturday rolled around again, Tezuka finally decided to ask Ryoma, to which the freshman responded by quipping, "It's about time, captain."

That day after practice, Echizen headed home first to pick up his sleeping bag (even though he knew with the utmost certainty that he would not be using it) and a change of clothing. When he informed his parents that he was going to stay over at Tezuka's house that night, his mother had been quite compliant about it; in fact she even told him she would much prefer his sleeping over than him coming home so late. On the other hand, Nanjiroh actually put up quite a protest, much to his surprise. He didn't think the old man would even care. Ryoma barely understood his argument, something about chickens, a coop and a wolf or weasel (he couldn't remember since he wasn't really paying attention). Eventually his mom had to once again step in and drag his father off in order to stop his tirade.

When he arrived home to collect what he needed for the evening, his dad was on his usual perch on the porch with a scowl on his face and his arms stuffed in either sleeve of his robe. His mother obviously had some kind of serious discussion with him, because the only thing he said as the freshman was leaving was a cryptic, "Tell kid-captain I tried my best."

"What are you talking about, oyaji?"

Expelling a breath in frustration, Nanjiroh grunted and complained unhappily, "Your mom won't let me say."

Deciding it was best for his own sanity to not spend any more time listening to his dad's nonsense, Echizen petted Karupin a good night before heading off to Tezuka's house. Just as he slipped out of the front gate, his dad sighed again and leaning back to lie on the porch, commented wistfully to no one in particular, "At least he can't get knocked up."

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Strangely enough, even though they spent the whole night together, they actually did not engage in any of the activities that Nanjiroh had thought they would be occupied with (or, to be more exact, his son would try to force Tezuka to partake in) until late into the evening. Perhaps it was because they knew they had the whole night and even most of the next day, and therefore they did not have to be in any hurry to do anything. When Echizen got to Tezuka's house, it was still early in the afternoon so they decided to go fishing again. This would be their third time doing so, and though Echizen didn't like the actual activity any better, he did enjoy the general outing experience, especially the time he spent with the senior, so he was more than happy to oblige. Though the fishing expedition took a few hours, they once again returned mostly empty-handed. Afterwards, they went to a movie and dinner, followed by visiting various arcades and book stores. By the time they arrived back at Tezuka's place, it was already close to midnight. After a quick bath together, they jumped under the covers. Only then did the heavy kissing and petting begin and continue for the next hour or so until gratification was reached.

Finished, they laid there quietly side by side for a while, relishing the sense of satiation. Though tired, both of them couldn't fall asleep. In fact, they were excited about the prospect of sleeping together for the whole night. Neither of them had ever spent the night with anyone before so this was a novel experience for them. The thrill of it kept sleep at bay completely. In fact, had Tezuka's arm not been decommissioned, Echizen would've suggested a game of tennis. Instead, he announced simply, "I can't sleep."

"Me neither," came the instant response.

"What should we do?"

A beat. "You…did you want to…again?"

Ryoma glanced over at the other boy with a look of mocked incredulity. "Pervert. We just did that."

Tezuka pursed his lips and shifted self-consciously. "I am not. I thought you were just implying…."

"No."

"Gomen."

After a brief pause, Ryoma amended, "At least not right away."

The other boy chuckled and then sighed. "What do you want to do then? I can't play tennis."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that. Anyway, it's late, we might wake up your grandparents."

"True." Tezuka thought about it some more. "How about a game of Go?"

"Isn't that with the black and white marbles? I think I read a manga about it. Or was it an anime?"

"I think it was both, and they're not marbles." Tezuka sat up slightly. "I could teach you."

Echizen stretched lazily and answered, "No, why don't we just lie here and wait until we fall asleep instead?"

Determined now, the older boy got off the bed, tugging on Ryoma's arm at the same time. "Get up. I'll teach you. I'm sure you'll like it."

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't. Fishing and board games, captain? You're like an old man."

Instead of taking offense, Tezuka considered that as he looked around for their pants. "That might be. I did spend most of my time with my grandparents."

"Oh, so you're blaming them. How mean." Echizen barely blocked the shirt that was aimed at face in time. Grinning widely, he pulled it on and then his pants that Tezuka next tossed at him.

The senior pulled out the goban and the boxes of moku from his closet, clearly delighted that he could share something new with the other boy. With not a little amount of gripping, Ryoma finally settled down to learn how to play Go. While at first he stubbornly held on to his insistence that he didn't want to learn, his resistance started to crumble after the first hour. As his sense of the game grew, so did his interest, so much so that by the third hour, he even began to develop enough confidence to believe that there was a high possibility that he could defeat Tezuka. With this challenge in mind, he demanded a rematch each time he lost, and they ended up playing until the sun peaked over the horizon. With the early dawn sunlight flowing into their room, their eyelids finally called surrender, and the two boys crawled back into bed together.

Echizen did not fall asleep immediately, however. Rather, he spent some time listening to the older boy's steady breaths, enjoying the way the other boy looked in repose and also liking the fact that he did not snore in his sleep. As slumber slowly claimed him, Ryoma smiled, content, glad that there were so many things about Tezuka that he liked.

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Life is good.

For Echizen, at least, he really had no complaints. Of course there was the upcoming tournament, but he was not at all worried about it. He was practicing as much as he can as it was, in addition to doing all that was dictated by Inui's special training regimen. He was confident that he was well-prepared for whatever challenge the other team might throw his way so he hardly thought about it when he wasn't at practice.

Life off the court was progressing just as smoothly. After the first night over at Tezuka's house, he stayed again the following Saturday and they had an even more enjoyable time. He realized the more time he spent with the senior, the more time he _wanted_ to spend with him. It was almost disconcerting that he would ever think that way of anyone, but there it was. On top of that, Momoshiro and Kikumaru weren't bothering him as much anymore. For the former, the restraint was most likely due to the little discussion they had a while back. Echizen figured if Momoshiro ever became too annoying again, he could always use the Ace he had in his hand (which was to mention Tachibana's sister). For the latter, the novelty of the matter was probably wearing out. Not to mention, with Tezuka not showing up to practice as much, he had little material to work with. Of course, since Ryuzaki-sensei just mentioned that Tezuka was dropping by, that was probably about to change. Echizen could already see the mischievous gleam in his senpai's eyes.

In the few times that Tezuka had come to visit his team, he never mentioned it to Ryoma, because there really wasn't anything worth mentioning. He would just arrive, spend a brief moment with them just watching and advising, and then head off. Whereas before Tezuka would just go home, but for the past week he actually left to attend his physical therapy sessions. His arrival usually involved little fanfare. Therefore, Echizen was a bit surprised when Oishi actually gathered up the team, informing them that Tezuka had something to announce.

_Funny_, Echizen thought as he playfully bounced a ball on the rim of his racket_, he never mentioned an announcement yesterday_.

As a result, when he heard the words that came out of Tezuka's mouth, he was so caught off guard by them that he actually forgot what he was doing, and the racket fell to the ground with a startling clatter.

"I've decided to go to Germany to treat my injury."

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**Author's Notes: **I didn't particularly like Forrest Gump but I couldn't help borrowing from it anyway since that infamous line seemed the most suitable for this chapter.

Thank you to Zen Nat who so generously volunteered to go through my previous chapters and perform an edit for me. She did it all out of the kindness of her own heart and I thank her for it! Also thank you to all of you who have also shown me the errors of my ways. ) I will try to correct my boo-boos in the previous chapters in the upcoming days. I know it's my own fault for not employing an official editor, but I really do have my own reasons, so all I can ask is for your pardons. ) Having said that, however, I feel I should also mention that I've noticed some of the mistakes—not a lot, just some—were the result of words just disappearing during the upload process to this website. Has that happened to anyone? And if so, how do I get around that? Please let me know by private e-mail. Much appreciated!


	14. Focus: Farewell, Tezuka Kunimitsu

**Author's Note: **Merry belated Christmas, everyone! Yes, I am a failure when it comes to deadlines (runs off to cry in the corner).

**Rating**: PG (sorry)

**Focus: Farewell, Tezuka Kunimitsu**

Though Tezuka only made his announcement to the regulars, the news of his imminent departure nevertheless spread through the tennis club faster than a brushfire. By the next morning, everyone had heard about it. The news spread to even those who were not on the team, who had only attended a few matches or just knew of the club's existence and they all reacted with some degree of astonishment. The news of course was most hard-hitting to the actual team members, who wandered the school halls like zombies, their dazed state only interrupted when they happened upon a fellow teammate with whom they were able to share their turmoil with. _You heard? Can you believe it? What's gonna happen to the team? _were the most common questions that fell from their lips. It was too astounding to believe that their esteemed captain would be leaving them in the middle of such a _crucial_ period of time, in the midst of the Regionals, for crying out loud! Not to mention, with him gone, would they even be able to make it to the Nationals? How could their team possibly make it all the way without their beloved leader?

While everyone else in the tennis club were grappling with the calamitous reality of their captain's surprising decision, Echizen was dealing with troublesome emotions of his own: namely, an irrational sense of annoyance that was slowly but surely transforming into something akin to definite anger at the news. So irritated was he that even the mere mention of Tezuka was enough to make his teeth grind. He was just as shocked as anyone else when he first heard the words from the senior's mouth about leaving for Germany, but after that brief moment of paralysis passed, he found himself overcome with an emotion that had made him turn away and head stiffly for the lockers without another glance back, even when he heard one of his senpais calling out his name. No one pursued him however, nor did they try to talk to him afterwards. Although he felt occasional furtive glances aimed in his direction, there must have been something in the set of his eyes and jaw that told them to keep their distance. When he left the locker room and saw that Tezuka had already taken his leave after making his announcement, his face had hardened even more, so much that he was practically glaring at anyone and everything the whole way home.

Naturally, his mood only worsened now that he had to deal with the fall-out from yesterday's news. Unlike the regulars who were in the know and therefore smart enough to stay out of his path, the other members of the club had no clue. As a result, people like Horio, Osakada and Sakuno did not even think twice about pestering him for his take on the consequences of Tezuka's decision. When he fended them off by displaying a seemingly nonchalant attitude, they were left bewildered, completely unaware that they had barely escaped being used as verbal scapegoats for his mounting wrath.

It didn't help that even after not mentioning _one word _to him about Germany in all the time they spent together following the Hyotei tournament, or even _one word_ for the rest of last night after dropping the bomb—that damned guy hadn't even tried to seek the entire time they've been at school today. The fact that he even unconsciously tried to make it easier for Tezuka by going up to the roof during lunch made him all the more pissed off when the older boy didn't show up. When the lunch bell rang and he still remained the only soul up there, he cursed emphatically underneath his breath and headed to class, the scowl he brought back with him scaring even his teacher.

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"Ah, there's Echizen," Fuji murmured to Eiji, who turned to look in the same direction. They were standing by the window of a classroom, discussing what the team's future might be in the Kantou tournament in Tezuka's absence, when the tensai spotted the freshman in one of the windows of the adjacent building as he navigated through the halls.

"Poor Ochibi, I wonder how he's doing."

"By that look on his face, I would guess not very well," was Fuji's reply.

"Did you see his reaction yesterday? It's as if he just took Taka-san's Hadoukyuu in his face."

Fuji couldn't help smiling a little at Eiji's description. "We were all shocked by the news."

"I just can't believe Tezuka didn't mention anything at all to him beforehand."

"I'm sure Tezuka had his reasons."

"Yeah? What could they possibly be? If the person I liked kept something that big a secret from me, I'd be so upset I wouldn't talk to him ever again."

Fuji sighed wistfully and tipped his head back to look up at the sky. "I'm not saying I would have done the same."

"Fuji! You don't think, they'd break up or anything?"

"I hope not, but there's hardly anything we could do about it."

"That's horrible! Maybe you should talk to Tezuka. Tell him to explain himself to Ochibi or something."

Closing his eyes, Fuji shook his head. "Mmm, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I don't think Tezuka would appreciate my interfering."

"Interfering! That's not interfering! We're just trying to help out as his friend!"

"While that may be, we both know very well that Tezuka's not the impulsive type. He must've thought about this thoroughly before making his decision."

"Yeah, but…but what if he didn't realize how upset Ochibi would be?"

"It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? Tezuka must have his own reasons for not approaching him yet."

Eiji snorted disdainfully. "Whatever reasons they are, I think they're stupid."

"Maybe he's waiting for the right time."

"Right time! When's the right time! When he's in Germany!"

The other boy chuckled softly and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Eiji, I think we should have more faith in Tezuka, don't you agree?"

Glowering unhappily, Eiji crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "How can you always be so calm, Fuji?"

"It's not a matter of calmness. I just think since they were able to manage without us all this time, I'm sure they'll be able to work this one out on their own as well. Why don't we give them a chance before offering our help?"

"They better work things out," Eiji replied, worry coloring his voice. "I don't think I can handle another crisis right now."

As Fuji continued to smile reassuringly, he patted Eiji on the back and said, "I'm sure it'll be fine."

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Tezuka dropped to a sitting position and leaned his head against the wall of the enclosure as he tried to catch his breath. He lifted his hand to look at his watch. 5:30. Probably another half hour or so until sunrise. He'd have to return home soon after so that he could shower before he went to school. He should continue practicing in what little time he had before then. He glanced at his watch again. Another minute and then he'll continue. After all, he'd been out here practicing virtually non-stop since 3 am. The muscles in his arm were already protesting the exertion. He knew he shouldn't overdo it; no good would be had if he ended up injuring his good arm as well, but he was also very aware of what little time he had left so he couldn't stop himself even when he reached the point of exhaustion. He had to accomplish this task, for himself, for the team, and for Echizen, before he left for Germany.

Expelling a deep breath in a sigh, he brought his knees up and rested his racket on them as a small, barely detectable frown crinkled the corners of his lips and the bridge between his eyes. _I should call him_, he thought for what was probably the hundredth time since yesterday. It always ended the same way, with the thought surfacing and then being quickly suppressed. What would he say? What could he say? I'm sorry I didn't tell you before telling everybody else? He shook his head. That was ridiculous. It took triple the amount of time for him to decide _not_ to tell Echizen about his decision to go to Germany than it did for him to actually decide to go in the first place, so he had to be confident that it was the right choice.

So why was it that since his announcement, since seeing that absolutely _stricken _expression on Ryoma's face, did doubt begin to eat away at his resolve?

He shook his head again. _I can't think about this right now_. He stood up, ignoring the aches in his body and limbs, and dropped another coin in the serving machine. As he got into a ready stance, he pursed his lips and steeled his jaw in determination. _It'll work out in the end_.

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After three consecutive no-shows by Tezuka after waiting the whole lunch period for him on the roof, Echizen decided he had had enough. Even if that guy were to show up on the roof tomorrow, too bad. He was not about to sacrifice his precious time with the general population for the sake of someone who was too stupid to realize there was someone waiting for him on the roof.

_Who said I'm waiting for him?_ he thought angrily as his scowl darkened.

"Hey, Echizen!"

The freshman continued walking, ignoring the voice and the footsteps hurrying behind him to catch up. Even when the person finally reached him and put a staying hand on his shoulder, Ryoma's sour expression didn't change in the least at the sight of Momoshiro panting slightly beside him.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" the upperclassman questioned. "Hey, slow down, will you?"

"I need to go to class."

"We have time."

"What do you want, Momochan-senpai?"

"Uh, nothing, not much," the second year hedged, "Just, you know, haven't seen you at lunch these last couple of days." When there was no response, he continued, "And during practice, there's always so many people around. Everyone's busy with practice. Then you just speed off right afterwards."

"And?"

Momoshiro hesitated. "You, uh, alright there, Echizen?"

The freshman shot him a look that made him instantly regret even asking. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Groaning inwardly and hating Eiji for talking him into this, the older boy cleared his throat awkwardly and answered, "You know, we've all been, uh, kind of dealing with, uh, the captain's announcement in our own way, so with the way it's been, we didn't have a chance to…talk to you."

"Talk to me? About what?"

"About how you feel," Momo explained while waving his hand. "About the whole thing. How are you, uh, coping?" he almost cringed at that, again hating his senpai for sticking that word in his head.

"Coping?" Echizen repeated sharply. "He's going to Germany, he's not dying."

"I know that!" Momo exclaimed. "But you know, since…" he glanced around surreptitiously and then lowered his head to whisper, "you two are close…."

Rolling his eyes in disbelief, Echizen snapped impatiently, "It's fine."

_Yeah, that's obvious, _the other boy thought as he shot a skeptical look at Ryoma, but instead of commenting, only said, "Have you spoken to Tezuka-buchou?"

"No." Echizen's voice could have frozen water.

_Eiji-senpai was right. What's the captain thinking?_ Out loud, he ventured gingerly, "Have you, er, tried calling him?"

That earned him a glare. "What for?"

"Well, he is leaving soon. Don't you…have stuff you two need to talk about?"

"No."

"But, it might be weeks, even months, before you'll see each other again."

Echizen pressed his lips together tightly and rather than saying anything more on the matter, simply said, "Here's my class". He then headed into the room without another parting word to the upperclassman.

Frowning after him, Momoshiro scratched his head vigorously, at loss as to what else he could do. _That went as well as I thought it would_, he thought sarcastically. As he went off in the direction of his own class, he was heard mumbling, "I need to stop listening to Eiji-senpai."

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Later in class, as the teacher's voice droned on in the background, Echizen was staring out the window, his mind not thinking of anything in particular. He had his elbow on the desk and his chin resting in the palm of his hand. Out of the blue, he grumbled to himself in a barely audible voice, "He knows how to use the phone too. Idiot."

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That day during practice, when Tezuka made his appearance once again, Ryoma found his gaze automatically drawn to him, like a thirsty man to a well. Old habits died hard, so it took a good amount of willpower to turn away from the familiar figure of the senior and pretend that the other boy's presence had no special significance to him. Tezuka also made things easier by ignoring him as well, purposefully striding right past him to Fuji in the next court without even the slightest pause in his steps. Though Ryoma had most of his attention focused on returning Momoshiro's balls, the senior's steps still sounded as clear as thunder behind him. He tried to remain unfazed, however, only faltering momentarily when he saw Tezuka using his right arm to rally with Fuji. The others noticed that as well and also paused in their actions in astonishment. Only the senior regulars had ever seen Tezuka use his right arm, and even those occasions had been very rare.

Echizen wondered idly if Tezuka had always been able to use his right arm, but then, suddenly remembering what he had been doing, chased the thought away in the next second with a dismissive, _so what? I don't care_.

He was able to stick to that attitude of detached nonchalance so well and believe in it that even when Tezuka finally addressed him directly at the end of practice, he barely blinked an eye.

"Echizen, get on the court. We're going to have a one set match."

The freshman hid his surprise well, even allowing himself to reason that it was actually a good idea. In fact, he was rather pleased that he could play against the young captain before he went off to Germany for God knows how long. It seemed right, somehow. Full circle, of sorts, with the only difference being that he will emerge the victor this time instead of the senior. He was certain that there was no way Tezuka could be a match for him without using his good arm. Regardless of how long and hard he probably practiced with his right arm, there was simply no way he could win.

_I _will_ defeat him_, Echizen thought with certainty as he served up his Twist Serve without holding anything. _That'll teach him._

His vindictive smugness increased when he started scoring consecutive service aces in the first game, and hardly wavered even when Tezuka begin returning his shots by the next game. Therefore, when he finally realized how deeply entrapped he was in the Tezuka Zone, he was completely blind-sided. Questions like, _when did he master the Tezuka Zone with his right arm? Had he always been able to do that? Did he just accomplish this during the short time after the Hyotei tournament? When did he have a chance? _ran through his mind as Ryoma returned well-manipulated volley helplessly. Everybody was asking themselves the same thing, even those who've seen him use his weaker arm.

As the surprising revelations continued to pile up—from Tezuka's breaking of both his Twist Serve and Drive B to the right-handed Zero Drop Shiki—Ryoma's shock soon gave way to the old familiar grudging admiration for the young captain. Ill feelings were momentarily forgotten, swept away by the spirit of their game. He was overcome with the same unique surge of emotion that was a mixture of fear and excitement that he only felt whenever he played against his dad and Tezuka. His own discovery of how to break through the Tezuka Zone only heightened his sense of challenge. He felt both exhilarated and revived.

By the end of their match, he realized he was wrong. They had not come full circle at all. The fact that he had once again lost against Tezuka notwithstanding, on the level of a tennis player, he still had a further ways to evolve. And despite what he had accomplished with his right arm, Ryoma knew it was the same for Tezuka. The thought of how far their tennis could still grow and how awesome their match would be when they've reached the end of their evolution almost made Echizen tremble with anticipation. As Oishi called out the final score, Ryoma told himself with a certainty that was steeped in absolute confidence of his own abilities instead of just superficial arrogance, _Next time_,_ I _will_ beat him_.

And when he met Tezuka's eyes from across the net, Ryoma finally allowed himself to acknowledge something that had been bubbling underneath the surface ever since he heard about Germany three days ago; the very thing that was most likely the main culprit for his feelings of aggravation, frustration and anger. It was one thought, almost overwhelming in its honesty:

_I am going to miss him_.

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Afterwards when they were cleaning up in the locker room, Tezuka at long last approached Echizen. By that time, most of the team members had already cleared out. Whether it was on a conscious level or not, the two of them had taken their time changing, showering and packing their gear so that when they were done, the majority of the team would be gone. They weren't entirely alone, however, despite their efforts. In fact, all the other regulars still remained, except for Kawamura who had departed to work at his restaurant, along with the three freshmen and two of the second years, Ikeda and Hayashi. As if by some unspoken agreement, the six regulars had also taken their time in order to keep an eye on their captain and Echizen, with Momo and Eiji being especially hawk-eyed. They sensed something was about to happen and wanted to be present when it did. The fact that the freshmen boys and the two non-regular second years were also there was just an unfortunate coincidence.

As soon as they spotted Tezuka making his way over to Echizen, both Kikumaru and Momoshiro stopped dead in their tracks and stared, first at the two boys and then at each other, eyes wide with identical expressions of panic. _Should we do something! _their looks conveyed.

"Anyone in the mood for McDonald's?" Fuji called out with ease from behind Eiji.

It took a split second for them to realize that the tensai had once again come to the rescue. Momo was the first to respond, eagerly crying out "I am! I am!"

Eiji chimed in with an equally enthusiastic, "Me too!"

"That's a great idea!" Oishi supplied while glancing nervously in Tezuka and Echizen's direction. Neither of the two gave any indication that they were listening to them. "We should all go!"

"Eh? We get to come too?" Horio exclaimed excitedly.

"Of course!"

"Yes, yes, everybody, let's all go! Oishi-senpai's treat!" Eiji announced as he draped himself against his partner's back.

Oishi started at that. "Eiji!" he whispered indignantly, "I didn't say that!"

"Come on, Oishi, do it for Tezuka and Ochibi," his friend whispered back.

"Even if you say that, I don't know if I have enough money!"

"Don't worry, I'll pitch in," Fuji volunteered from beside them since he overheard.

"Alright! Let's go, let's go!" Momo cried as he started ushering the non-regulars out.

"Wait, what about the captain?" Ikeda questioned.

"He, uh, has some stuff to discuss with Echizen," Momo lied.

"What stuff?" Horio demanded as he glanced curiously towards the two people in question.

"Regulars stuff. None of your business."

"Aren't you a regular too, Momochan-senpai?"

"Er, he's spoken with me already. Come on, come on, let's hurry before the senpais change their minds."

As Momo forcefully heralded the group out, Oishi stopped to grab Inui and Kaidoh's arms to pull them along as well after noticing that they were both pointedly staring over at the couple: Tezuka was standing beside Echizen, who had not looked up from packing his bag. In a low but firm tone, the vice captain said, "Come on, you two, let's give them some privacy."

Instantly self-conscious, Kaidoh mumbled a quick apology and hastily rushed out of the room. Inui only shrugged and mused, "I guess I could gather data some other time."

As soon as the door closed behind the boisterous group, Ryoma stopped his motions and sighed. "That was subtle," he groused.

"They mean well," Tezuka said from above.

The other boy didn't immediately respond. When after a brief stretch of silence, he still remained silent, Tezuka began with, "Ryoma."

When the freshman finally looked up at him, it was with a hard, admonishing glare. "You could have said _something_."

Taking a steadying breath to quell the anxiety he hadn't even realized he had been holding in until now, Tezuka nodded and then after the tiniest hesitation, sat down next to the other boy. "Gomen. I believed it was the right thing to do."

"Right? In what universe?" the other boy retorted, his voice barely masking the sudden bitterness he felt.

"Ryoma, remember when we had that conversation outside your house? About special treatment?"

Echizen drew back, incredulous. "Special treatment? _That'_s special treatment?"

"Ryo—"

"Something like that," the freshman continued, "you'd at least tell your friend about it, wouldn't you? Not to mention I'm not just…." He stopped all of a sudden and shot Tezuka mean look before glancing off to his side.

"You're right, I don't just see you as a friend. You…you do mean more," Tezuka confessed. Echizen turned back to face him, though the stubborn hardness in his eyes and jaws remained. "That's why it was even more important for me _not_ to tell you before anyone else."

"What?" The annoyance was apparent in the other boy's voice.

"It wouldn't have been fair. If you had known before anyone else, it would be blatantly obvious that I don't treat you as I do everybody else, which I don't."

Expelling a puff of breath forcefully, the freshman pointed out with absolute bluntness, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Most of them don't know and the ones that do, how could they not expect for you to tell me something like that?"

"That's exactly it. Of course I would tell you first, because of our relationship, right? But had you been any other person on the team, would I have told you?"

"It's not like you're giving the secret line-up to our next tournament. This is Germany we're talking about. You're going out of the country!"

Tezuka sighed. "I decided to go mainly with the team's future in mind. If it were just for the sake of my own future in tennis, I would have waited until the end of this school year. I made this decision as captain, and that is why I have to uphold the principles I have as captain."

Seeing that the scowl had not abated on the other boy's face, Tezuka went on to say, "I know it makes little sense to you, and I wish I knew how to explain it better. Suffice it to say, it means a lot to me to be able to maintain the boundaries I have drawn for myself as team captain. It would mean a lot to me if you could understand how important my beliefs are, even if the beliefs themselves do not make much sense."

"That's fine for you, but how considerate is it to me?"

"I know it might appear to be completely inconsiderate, outside our relationship here in the club, but within it, I have to consider the others as well. And though it may seem that in my need for not singling you out I might just do the opposite, can you trust me when I am constantly trying to find the best balance for every situation because there is never a moment I am not taking yours and everybody else's feelings in mind?" He paused and then added, "Even in that, there is already an built-in imbalance because of how I feel about you outside of our roles in the team."

"Only you would come up with such anal retentive logic," Echizen pointed out after a length of time. "Is part of the reason for your disappearing off the face of the earth for the last couple of days also due to consideration for me?"

Tezuka shook his head. "I knew you were upset. I wanted to call. All the time. In the end, I decided that would have been meaningless. I felt that this was still the best time to properly explain myself to you."

"Why? You figured beating me in a match would smooth the way?" There was no bite to Echizen's words, however, despite the glower on his face.

Tezuka flashed a genuine smile, the first one in days, relief brightening his eyes. "You hardly made it easy, as usual."

"How long have you been practicing with your right arm?" Echizen questioned with a slight nod at the appendage.

"To be honest, it was your father that reminded me about it. It's not that I've never used my right arm before, but since my left is still my stronger arm, I never put concentrated effort into practicing with it until now. At first I was just testing it out of curiosity. It was only when I decided to go to Germany did it really become my focus."

"You're not bad with it, why not just use your right arm for the upcoming matches? You were able to beat me after all, how weak could it be?"

Tezuka started to close and open his right fist as he said, "Because my left arm is still my best arm. In a way it is like smoke and mirrors. How else would you have been able to break through my right-handed zone?"

"Hmmph." They fell quiet again until Echizen demanded gruffly, "When're you leaving?"

"Tuesday."

He started in surprise. "This coming Tuesday?"

The older boy nodded. "The sooner I go…." he trailed off.

"Oh." Echizen crinkled his forehead. "When will you return?"

Tezuka frowned. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "As soon as I can. Definitely by the time of the Nationals. No matter the outcome of my therapy in Germany, I will be back for that."

"You're pretty confident that we'll even make it that far."

"I am. I believe in everyone, and I know Oishi will make a fine captain in my stead." Tezuka paused. "Although I wish…I wish I could stay. It is difficult leaving everyone, missing the upcoming matches. Even missing school. I had to make a lot of arrangements with my teachers and with student council so that they can carry on smoothly in my absence. There were times when it seemed hardly worth it." Another beat. "And then there's you."

Their eyes locked for a brief, significant moment. Echizen was the first to break away, shaking his head as he did so. "You're so annoying sometimes."

Caught off guard, Tezuka inquired earnestly, "Why?"

Echizen shook his head again and mumbled under his breath, "Idiot." Just as Tezuka was about to ask for the reason again, the freshman leaned forward to kiss him. It took only a second for the senior to get over his surprise before he was eagerly kissing back. Soon enough, they had their arms wrapped around each other so that there was barely a hair's width between them while their lips and tongues dueled passionately. Echizen slipped one of his hands underneath Tezuka's shirt and up his back to the nape of his neck. When Tezuka felt Ryoma's other hand snaking down the front of his pants, he responded instantly by covering that hand with his own and pressing down. He gasped at the stimulation and began to lean back, losing the energy to remain sitting up. It was at that moment that he realized three things: a) there was nothing to lean back against since the wall was still a distance away from the bench they were on, b) they were sitting on a bench, and c) they were sitting on a bench in the _tennis club's locker room_.

"Echizen!" His voice came out in a yelp most unbecoming of captain Tezuka. When the younger boy didn't immediately respond and instead started to reach _into_ his pants, the older boy grabbed a hold of that insistent hand and intoned more firmly, "Echizen."

"What?" the freshman demanded, his face scrunching up in slight irritation at being interrupted.

"We can't do this here."

It took a few beats before he realized what the senior meant. "Oh yeah, we're still here," he said with a crooked grin. He then glanced around and with a mischievous glint in his eyes, suggested slyly, "Although, there's really no one here now but us…."

Tezuka couldn't help chuckling at that but nevertheless his tone was resolute as he stated, "Absolutely not."

Echizen sighed. "So boring, buchou."

"I have an image to preserve after all," the young captain responded jokingly.

They hurriedly gathered their belongings and headed out the door. As Tezuka locked up the room, he asked Echizen, "We're alright then?"

Pursing his lips sardonically, the freshman's answered cryptically with, "I'll let you know in a couple of hours."

Tezuka grinned, glad that things did work out all right.

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Inui, Eiji, Momo and Kaidoh walked together in stunned silence, retracing their steps back to their original destination, McDonald's, before they had made the horrendously erroneous decision to return to school to peek in on their captain and Echizen. They had only wanted to make sure everything was "okay" with the two of them, nothing else. They had only planned to peek in, with no intention of interrupting their privacy at all. Just the same, Oishi had tried his best to stop them. Unfortunately, with it being four against one (Fuji had just observed the whole exchange in amusement while the five lowerclassmen were barely able to make any sense of their coded dialogue), he didn't have a chance. They had overpowered his protests easily, their insistence fueled by an overwhelming sense of curiosity with just a smidgen of concern mixed in. As they were heading back to the locker room, they had been joking about what they would find. At the worst a fighting match between the two (this idea supplied by Momoshiro), at the best a cute but innocent embrace (this idea supplied by Eiji). The sight they were greeted with instead completely blew all their expectations out to space.

They had only opened the door a crack, being extremely careful as to not give any indication that they were there, and they had looked for only a few seconds, if that, but it was still enough time for the image they encountered to be seared into their brains, an image that would haunt them for days, nay, weeks, to come, if not more.

Afterwards, the speed by which they rushed off of school grounds broke records.

Momo was the first to speak up, mustering up a single, "Damn." Beside him, Eiji and Kaidoh were still incapable of speech. In fact, Eiji's mouth was still hanging wide open as if his lower jaw had come undone, while Kaidoh's face looked in danger of exploding from the amount of blood that had rushed to the surface and remained there.

Inui cleared his throat awkwardly. "There's definitely more physical contact than when I last saw them," he remarked.

The second year was nearly apoplectic with disbelief. "More! I'd say! They were..." he lowered his voice when he realized his yelling was attracting strange looks from people on the street, "They were _this close_ to doing it right there in the locker room. The _locker room_!"

"Amazing isn't it? I never figured either of them to be the passionate type. At least not to that degree," Inui responded more moderately.

"Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it! I mean, we all know they've had sex, but I just…I never expected…never thought…_geez_."

"Pigeons," Kikumaru suddenly spoke up, startling both of them.

"What's that, Eiji-senpai?"

"I thought they'd be like pigeons. You know, how they are when they're mating?"

Momo blinked and debated whether his senpai's line of thought was even worth pursuing.

Unfortunately, Inui took the decision out of his hands by asking, "What do you mean by that, Kikumaru?"

Eiji shrugged, his forehead creasing in thought. "Well, ever since Ochibi told us about him and Tezuka having sex, the images of pigeons mating would just come up when I thought about them together. You know, kind of boring to look at, even when mating? I never thought it would involve so much… kissing, and hugging, and touching, and rubbing…."

"Alright, alright! We get it, senpai!" Momo yelled just as Kaidoh groaned and covered his ears.

The older boy blushed and ducked his head in embarrassment. "You know what I mean. But they weren't anything like how pigeons are. If I had to describe them, I would say they're more like…snails. Yeah, snails sound about right."

Momoshiro guffawed and then scrunched his face in disgust. "That's kinda gross, Eiji-senpai."

Inui decided to refrain from further voicing his views on the matter, lest that lead to an open invitation for them to question about his own experiences.

"You ever seen snails mate? If you ever do, you'll know what I mean."

"Uh, no, I think I'll pass."

"What was I thinking?" Kaidoh moaned unhappily all of a sudden.

Momo turned to him and asked, "Yeah, what were you thinking, viper? I thought you didn't want to know about stuff like that between the captain and Echizen."

"I didn't!" Kaidoh snapped. "I thought they'd be fighting! Were _you_ expecting that?"

"Of course not! I was the one who suggested they'd be arguing like cats and dogs! None of us expected _that_!"

"Perhaps we're overreacting," Inui reasoned. "After all, they were only kissing. I'm sure we've seen worse."

"In comic books and tv and movies, maybe, but not live and in color and involving the captain and Echizen!" Momo replied. "That'll teach us to stick our noses where they don't belong."

"I don't know, after the initial shock, it is rather educating. Definitely valuable data in terms of Tezuka and Echizen."

"As if data like that will ever be useful on the court," the second year grumbled skeptically.

"Any and all data has its uses."

"You're not gonna describe that in your notebook, are you, Inui? That might be too much, don't you think?" This from Eiji.

"Of course not. I do have some scruples. Not to mention, I doubt I need to commit that image to paper in order to remember it. I'm a bit worried my memory will serve me too well in this case. Considering our relationship with Tezuka, this might create some degree of awkwardness the next time we see him."

"That's the understatement of the year," Momo muttered.

"Everyone, we have to remember to be careful!" Eiji warned. "We absolutely can't let them know we saw what we did!"

"That goes without question. Although…" the second year grinned, "somehow that's something I would expect to hear from Oishi-senpai. No offense, Eiji-senpai."

"Hey, I know when's a good time to joke and when's a good time to be serious, too," the older boy responded while reiterating his words by poking at Momoshiro's shoulder. "In this case, it is absolutely not a joking matter since we had no right to spy on their love-love time."

"You say that, but weren't you just as excited about spying on them in the park, senpai?"

Eiji waved his hand dismissively. "That was different. That was in a public place and it was our right to know at that point in time."

"Alright," Momo said dubiously. Shrugging, he added, "either way, I understand what you mean. I don't have any plans to breathe a word about this to another soul. Man's honor. In fact, if at all possible, even _I_ would like to forget this whole thing ever happened."

"Same here," Kaidoh concurred.

"Of course we have to tell Oishi, Fuji and Taka-san about this, but otherwise, that's it."

"Are you serious, Eiji-senpai!" Momoshiro exclaimed.

"Of course. They have the right to know too!"

"Then by all means, I leave the honor of retelling to you two senpais. I won't be able to face Tezuka-buchou again if I continue to think too much about that scene."

Eiji nodded solemnly. "Of course, of course." He then beamed and thought eagerly, _I can't _wait_ to see their reactions! Especially Oishi's! _He giggled and practically bounced the rest of the way to the McDonald's.

O

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The night before the young captain was to depart for Germany, Echizen went over to his house to watch him pack. The freshman sat perched upon his bed watching him wordlessly, occasionally handing him something when asked. Since he had already started the night before, it didn't take long before Tezuka finally announced, "I think I have everything."

"You're done?"

The older boy thought about it some more as he stared down at his suitcase. "Yes."

"That's just one suitcase and one bag. Is that enough?"

"Yes. I don't need much to get by, just the essentials."

"How about your grandparents? Will they be okay?"

Tezuka nodded. "My aunt will come visit them from time to time just to check in on them."

"I could do that too."

"You will?" the other boy asked, mildly surprised.

"Sure, why not? I like their cooking."

Tezuka grinned. "I appreciate it."

"Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you." Ryoma jumped off the bed and went over to his bag. He rummaged through it and then pulled out the thing he was looking for, presenting it to the senior. "Take this with you."

With an amused expression, Tezuka sat down on the bed and examined the item in his hand, turning it to look at the picture on one side. "It's a cup with a picture of Karupin on it."

Seating himself next to him, the freshman bobbed his head in confirmation. "Yeah. I use it all the time."

"But, if I bring it with me, what about you?"

Ryoma rolled his eyes. "I have other mugs I can use in my house. Just make sure you return it to me in one piece."

Tezuka continued to look down at it for a minute more, his lips stretched in a smile. Finally, he looked up at the freshman and said softly, "Thank you. I'll take good care of it." He turned and folded the mug into one of his towels before tucking it into his suitcase.

"Good."

After closing his suitcase shut, Tezuka went over to where the other boy was. Ryoma tugged him down onto the bed. "What should we do now?" Tezuka asked with a small knowing grin.

"I don't know," Echizen replied even as he began planting purposeful kisses on the other boy's face and neck.

"You have to go home soon."

"I know. And we both have to get up early tomorrow."

"It would've been enough for my grandparents and sensei to see me off; all of you didn't have to come along as well."

"We're just skipping morning practice. It's not like we could stay that long anyway cuz of school."

"So this is our good-byes then?"

"I guess. Unless you want to make a scene tomorrow in front of everyone."

Tezuka shot him a wry look as he shifted so that he could take off his shirt. He quickly got undressed and as he lowered himself down on top of the other boy, he breathed into Ryoma's ear, "Then, I guess I'll say good-bye for now."

To which Echizen answered with an equally tender, "Good-bye for now, Kuni-chan."

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**Author's Note**: I struggled with the length of this chapter for a while. The first draft was actually much more wordy. But then after re-reading it again and again, I realized a lot of the stuff can be cut out. Hopefully, I didn't end up making it not wordy enough.

Again thank you for your continued patronage. I should also say a big thank you to all of you who has posted a review, your feedback or even e-mailed me personally. I do try to reply but at the same time I am always grossly behind in e-mail, so if you haven't heard from me, or don't hear from, please know that your words are all greatly appreciated. When I first started this story, it was entirely for myself, but your words have really encouraged me to move forward with it. I apologize I cannot offer you anything in return, not even keeping to my word of posting sooner. sob I will continue to try!

And just in case you're wondering, there IS more to come!


	15. Focus Extra I: Tea with the Girls, Pt I

**Author's Note: **It's never been my plan to release chapters only on special occasions, but somehow, it's ended up this way. Hmm. So when's the next holiday?

St. Patrick's? (shakes head in shame)

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day, here's a little something extra for your enjoyment. And thank you to the lovely Zen Nat for her editing services! Since she's been doing it for me on a volunteer basis for some time now, I finally just made her my official beta-reader. Thank you, thank you! She has also gone through all my previous chapters to see what still needs to be cleaned up; I just haven't gone back to make the corrections. I really gotta kick my own butt to get a move on that.

That said, any errors that may still remain is entirely my fault; she tried her best. V

**Timeline: **Sometime in the future, after Tezuka's return, before the Nationals.

**Rating**: PG here, but R, R, R in the next part.

**Focus Extra 1: Tea with the Girls, Part I**

"I am _not_ gonna be a girl!"

Echizen's indignant outburst was instantly greeted with hearty laughter from his teammates. Following practice which concluded a short while ago, the Seigaku tennis team, along with Ryuzaki, had stayed behind in the locker room to discuss their plans for their school's upcoming cultural festival. As was tradition for Seigaku, each club on campus was expected to participate by setting up either a booth or a classroom for a particular function for the purpose of fund-raising. While the function was chosen by the festival committee through a random lottery selection, the club members were allowed to pick the theme on their own. This year, the tennis club had drawn the selection for creating a café, and they had been given a classroom to work in due to their size.

After a brief brainstorming session, Oishi had come up with the suggestion of setting up a traditional tearoom. As was expected in a room full of teenaged boys, the proposal had garnered a rather lukewarm reception at first. Even when both Ryuzaki and Tezuka voiced their support, the boys had reluctantly complied, solely out of respect. Eventually, as they delved further into the details of their tearoom, their enthusiasm began to steadily increase. Since only a very small handful of them knew how to perform the ritual tea ceremony, they decided that they would simply serve tea and desserts, though they would still decorate the room in a more conventional style. When talk turned to uniforms, yukatas came up as the logical choice. It was from there that the idea of having the servers dress up as serving maidens was hatched, by none other than Fuji, since in his experience with teahouses, the servers have usually been female. He also thought that the extra twist would generate enough of a buzz to provide them with an extra leg up. One of the events that everyone looked forward to during the festival was the contest between clubs to see who could attract the most patrons, indicated by the number of vouchers collected. They had vouchers representing different dollar amounts, so at the end of the day, the vouchers would be turned in and the total tallied. The three top earning clubs would be deemed the winners, and as a reward, the members could receive various benefits ranging from free meal tickets, no homework passes, to an entire day off.

Surprisingly, Fuji's suggestion piqued the boys' interest and their response was almost unanimously positive. Realizing the fun that could be had, the boys instantly began playfully nominating candidates for cross-dressing, both in earnest and in jest. The more obvious nominees were of course Fuji himself and Eiji, both of whom consented easily. In fact, the latter practically bounced with glee as he accepted the duty. As they continued to consider more people for the task, Kikumaru somehow zeroed in on Echizen, who had until then escaped everybody's notice, despite how physically fitting he was for the role.

"Ochibi! You! You've got to be a girl! You'd be PERFECT!"

The only other thing that could have produced a more horrified look of repulsion on the freshman's face would probably be a love confession from Horio. The room instantly erupted in rowdy approval, and his aforementioned protest only served to increase their enthusiasm.

Momoshiro was chortling. "Eiji-senpai's right, Echizen!" The dirty look his friend aimed at him didn't make him falter one bit. "Look at you, you're tiny and slender, and come to think of it, your face is even kinda girly. You'd be perfect as a girl! Great suggestion, Eiji-senpai!"

"I said, I am _not_ dressing up," Echizen repeated even more adamantly, his forehead creased in a deep scowl. It was one thing being told by relatives, his mother's friends and old ladies how cute he was and how he would've been even cuter as a girl, but it was quite another to be told the same insulting thing by his peers and upperclassmen. He found it absolutely unacceptable.

Inui smiled in amusement. "Hmm, now that they've mentioned it, I do have to agree with Kikumaru and Momoshiro, Echizen. If you don't mind me saying, I actually think you're an even better candidate based on the physical attributes Momoshiro mentioned."

"What about Kachirou! He fits the description too."

"Eeeeh!" his fellow freshman cried as he cowered in fear. "Why me!"

"Yeah, yeah, Kachirou! That's a great choice too!" someone agreed.

Horio cackled like hyena. "Kachirou and Echizen as girls! What an idea!"

"B-but that's…I don't want…." Kachirou began fretfully but was interrupted by Momo who flung an arm around the spare boy's shoulders and said pleasantly, "You've been chosen, Kachi-chan. Anyway, look, there's nothing to worry about. Just think of it as role-playing."

"Even if you say that, senpai, it's…it's still embarrassing."

"It'll be fine. Even the two senpais are willing to do it, can you really complain?"

From beside them, Ryoma scoffed. "That's easy for you to say, Momo-senpai. Why don't _you_ dress up then?"

"This guy!" Arai exclaimed while pointing at the boy. "You've got to be kidding, Echizen! If the sight ain't enough to scare people away, it'd definitely make their eyeballs bleed!"

"Hey," Momo said warningly, but then paused and thought better of it. Grinning, he declared, "And what if I make an ugly girl? Who cares? The more important thing is that I make an excellent boy. A fine example of a strapping young boy, I might add. Jealous?"

His teammates cracked up at that. Arai guffawed and then challenged, "Hey, Momo, whoever told you that drivel? Your mom?"

"No, your mom," Momo shot back, causing even more laughter.

"Insulting my mom, are you? Wanna take this outside, you bastard?" the other boy joked while holding up his fists.

"All right, kids, settle down," Ryuzaki commanded cheerfully. "Let's finish this business first so we can get out of here. You can fight all you want afterwards."

Momo tugged down his bottom eyelid and stuck out his tongue at Arai before turning back to Echizen to get back to the original issue. "The point is, I know several people who would _pay _good money to see you dressed up as a girl, Echizen. The goal is to get as many people to our tearoom as possible, right? What better way than to have the great Ryoma-sama dress up as a cute little waitress?"

"Haha, we could probably even sell tickets for just that alone!" someone else pointed out.

Kachirou spoke up timidly at that. "Then-then, it wouldn't make sense for me to dress up, senpai. I don't have any fans. There wouldn't be any interest, would there?"

Seeing his friend's obvious state of distress, Katsuo chimed in with, "He's right, senpai-tachi. If the point is to attract attention…."

"Ah! Then the only ones who should dress up are the infamous regulars!" Arai completed for him, beaming widely.

"What!" Both Kawamura and Kaidoh yelped at the same time.

Even Tezuka reacted. After his initial input, he had remained silent, wanting to provide his team with the opportunity to flex their creative muscles freely. He wanted them to enjoy the experience as much as possible, especially the regulars, since they, more than anyone else, deserved a nice break from the constant rigorous training they have been going through in preparation for the Nationals. As a result, though he had been paying attention to the proceedings, he was listening with only one ear. Upon hearing Arai's words, however, he instantly snapped back to attention in dismay, though his reaction was barely perceptible to those around him. The only thing that remotely gave him away was the slight widening of his eyes behind his glasses.

"Hmm, he's got a point there," Inui mused. "No offense to anyone, but that indeed might be more of a draw. We should even advertise that fact."

"Senpai! Do you know what you're saying?" Kaidoh blurted out in astonishment, "That means you'll have to dress up too!"

The taller boy shrugged. "If I have to, I don't mind. Just as Momoshiro said, it's only role-playing."

"But, do we _all_ have to do it?" Kawamura inquired nervously. "I really would rather not, guys. It's…I mean…that's…."

"Heh, are you sure, Taka-san?" Eiji asked slyly as he handed the other boy a tennis racket. "What about now?"

Instantly transformed, Kawamura swung the racket upward in triumph and hollered with gusto, "BUUUUUUUUUUUUURNINNNNNNG!" He then pointed the racket at Kikumaru and cried in English, "NOOOO! I NO WANT BE GIRL!"

"Sheesh!" Eiji huffed in exasperation as he pulled the useless implement out of his teammate's hands. The other boy instantly deflated. Running his hand through his hair absently, Kawamura repeated, "Ano, I do mean it. I would rather not."

"Wait, Kawamura-senpai does have a point. I mean, we don't _all_ have to be servers, do we?" Momo asked.

"You're just trying to get out of it, Momo-senpai," Echizen pointed out dryly.

"Like you should talk," the second year shot back in a low voice and then said loudly, "With the three senpais and Echizen, that's already four people…."

"I already said I don't wanna," Ryoma reiterated, his tone colored with irritation.

"Why don't we put it to a vote then," his friend suggested.

The freshman immediately vetoed the suggestion. "No. How'd that be fair? The cards are already stacked against me, in case you haven't noticed, senpai."

Momo snickered. "Ye of little faith. All right, then what should we do? Just go with three servers?"

"That would be too little," Fuji agreed thoughtfully. "One more would be better, in case one of us wants to go on a break, there can still be three people left working. We have to anticipate that it might get busy."

"Why not five or six? That'll be even better," Arai called out.

"Hey, Arai, shut up," Momo snapped with clenched teeth. His friend only chuckled.

"Why don't you guys draw lots?" someone else recommended. "That way, it'll all be up to chance and then it'll be fair."

"No, I disagree! We should just vote," Kaidoh stated firmly, not wanting there to be even the slightest chance that he would get picked.

Momo nodded. "Yeah, I still think that's the best way. The majority should rule after all."

"I absolutely don't agree," Echizen intoned.

"Actually, I'm with Ochibi," Kikumaru said gleefully, "I think we should draw lots too! Think of the suspense! It'll be more exciting that way!"

Sighing, Ryuzaki turned to Tezuka and asked, "What do you think?"

Put on the spot, the young captain did not answer right away. Instead, he considered both options for a moment while trying to pointedly ignore the warning glare that Echizen was directing at him from the front row. Always looking for a good balance between his personal life and his responsibilities, he finally came up with what he believed to be a fair compromise. "We'll have four servers. Eiji, Fuji, Inui, since the three of you have volunteered to dress up, we'll draw the fourth name by lottery." He figured that would at least reduce everyone's chance of getting picked by more than a half. He quickly glanced at Ryoma out of the corner of his eyes and was a bit relieved to see that even though the other boy was still glaring at him, the level of hostility had lessened somewhat.

"Ah, Tezuka," Inui spoke up then. "If that's the case, then I would like to put my name in for the drawing as well."

Momo started. "Inui-senpai, I thought you were willing to do it!"

"Yes, but that was when I thought we all had to do it. If there's a chance that I won't have to, then of course I would prefer that instead."

Tezuka addressed the two other seniors, "Eiji, Fuji, did you want to put your name into the draw as well?"

"It's okay, I don't mind dressing up. It'll be interesting," Fuji replied. With a huge grin, Kikumaru nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "Nah, I wanna do it! I don't wanna give up my spot."

"Senpais, I admire your bravery," Momo stated solemnly. He thought about it for a second and then complained, "Still, that's two chances of getting picked. Two out of seven. Those aren't great odds."

"Seven? Why…." Horio began to ask, a little baffled. When he realized where the count came from, he cried, "Wait, you're including Tezuka-buchou!" .

Momoshiro blinked in surprise. "Er…." He trailed off uncertainly as he glanced at the person in question. An odd silence overcame the group, the same thought going through their heads collectively: the truth was, they really had no great desire to see Tezuka dressed up as a girl. In fact, they absolutely _abhorred_ the very idea. For someone whom they held in such high esteem, they did not want to see him involved in any situation that would be even the slightest bit humiliating. It was too demeaning. On top of that, they also did not want to have their image of him ruined just for laughs. They would be too embarrassed to even look him in the eye afterwards. It would be equivalent to seeing a highly respected authority figure—brother, father or uncle—cross-dressing. Just thinking about it was enough to make them wince in their seats.

Sensing the level of discomfort in the room, Tezuka decided that he should probably say something to assure them that he did not mind adding his name to the draw, even though deep down, he honestly would have preferred the complete opposite. However, before he had a chance to say anything, Fuji spoke up. "Perhaps we should exclude Tezuka from the draw."

Even though most of the group murmured in acquiescence, one person did dare to defiantly challenge the suggestion. "How come?" Echizen demanded as he ignored the look the young captain was aiming in his direction. "He's a regular too."

"But Ryoma-kun, he's our captain," Katsuo informed him.

"Yeah! We can't let Tezuka-buchou do something like that!" Horio shouted.

Katsuo nodded and added, "It would be undignified."

"No, it won't, it's all in fun, right? You wouldn't mind, would you, buchou?" Ryoma asked, barely able to hide the mischievous grin that was spreading across his face.

_Brat_, Tezuka thought before saying out loud, "I don't mind."

This time, Arai stepped up to the defense. "That's generous of you, captain, but the thing is, _we_ do. We can't let something like this tarnish your image. I mean after all, your image equals our club's image."

"Well said, Arai," Momo commended him in approval. He then punched Echizen playfully on the shoulder and said, "You, quit being such a brat. You're outnumbered anyway. Look: those of you who agree with Fuji-senpai, raise your hand." Of course all the regulars and non-regulars, except for Echizen of course, did so at once. "See, Echizen? Majority rules."

Folding his arms across his chest, the freshman leaned back against his seat and muttered, "That's no fun."

Oishi's face lite up all of a sudden, as an idea occurred to him. "In that case, can I be excluded as well? I am the vice captain after all."

"No such luck, Oishi-senpai!" someone shot back instantly, prompting similar responses all around.

Offended, Oishi demanded, "Why not!"

A tall second-year boldly volunteered the answer by announcing, "Cuz we have no problem with embarrassing you, Oishi-senpai!" His words were immediately parroted by the others.

"Hey. You guys…." Oishi began warningly, but then was stopped by Ryuzaki's hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Oishi. Consider it part of your duty as vice captain. You'll serve as Tezuka's sacrifice."

Chuckling at the stricken expression on the boy's face, Ryuzaki patted him in consolation and then declared, "All right boys, let's settle this so we can start assigning duties. It's gotten late enough as it is. Eiji and Fuji will be two of the servers, and then two more will be chosen at random amongst the six of them."

"I'll draw up the names," Fuji volunteered, "Since I'm already chosen."

The tensai wrote down the names on slips of paper and then folded them into small pieces. He dropped them into a paper cup and after shaking the cup a little to scramble the selections, handed it over to Ryuzaki.

"Here we go," she announced with a grin before sticking her fingers into the cup and pulling out the first name. "Let's see who else gets to play dress-up for the festival!"

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In the days leading up to the cultural festival, all preparations for the tennis team's event progressed without a hitch. They soon realized how commendable Oishi's suggestion was because it really took very little effort to produce all the items necessary for their tearoom. Even on the actual morning of the festival, the team members who were assigned attending duties had little to do except to boil hot water for the tea. The tearoom had already been set up the night before by those who were assigned to do so. Currently, there was a small cluster of club members in the 'kitchen' area: the six who were given kitchen duties the first shift, which included Kawamura, and two who were given busboy duties. In addition, there were also a couple of them who were just sitting around in case they were needed, amongst them Arai, Ikeda and Hayashi. The truth was they also volunteered to be the spare hands if necessary because they wanted to be one of the firsts to catch a glimpse of the 'serving maidens', as they had taken to calling them.

The club had been given two adjacent classrooms to work in: one for use as the actual tearoom, and the other for use as a storage/kitchen area. Into the latter room they had moved all the desks and chairs that had been originally in the tearoom's space. Due to the simplicity of the drinks and food items they would be serving, their kitchen consisted of just three tables arranged in a horseshoe for easy access. On one table sat four electrical water kettles for heating water along with various boxes of tea bags and tins of tea leaves. On another sat the cakes and pastries they were going to sell, all of which had been prepared at home by the boys who had been given the task. The last table held the tea cups, plates and utensils that had been borrowed from some of the team members' home.

In fact, almost everything used for decorating their tearoom had been brought from homes: the tatami mats, low tables, vases, paper maché lanterns, and rice paper screens, which were placed strategically along one side of the classroom in an attempt to hide shelves and bookcases to help the illusion. They had even used a large white sheet painted with pale blue tennis rackets to hang over the whiteboard at the front of the room in order to cover it. As an added effect, a series of tennis rackets were hung by the window so that their shadows would create a nice effect in the room. The only items in the room that had not been pilfered from home were the pillows and the door curtain hanging over the doorway at the front of the classroom which was to serve as the main entrance to their tearoom. The freshmen rookies had sewn the pale blue pillows and the large matching door curtain which had the words "Seigaku Tennis" on it, neatly printed in black.

Tezuka was currently standing in the doorway with one hand drawing the curtain aside as he inspected the room one last time. There wasn't really anything to check on, so his once-over was more as a way of killing time than for any substantial reason. Not only was he also waiting for the start of the festival and hopefully the arrival of their patrons soon after, like the other boys, he was also secretly awaiting the first look at their servers. Or rather, one in particular. Unfortunately, since their arrival a while ago, they had yet to come out of the boys' restroom next door.

"I wonder what's taking so long. The crowd is getting restless again." Inui commented from his table by the doorway. He had the first shift for voucher collection duty. Beside him sat Oishi, who was just there because he couldn't stay away, even though his shift for kitchen duties wouldn't be until a couple of hours later.

At Inui's words, the vice captain eyed the various clusters of students hovering restlessly in the hallway, most of whom were female, though there were a good number of males as well. He could tell that the girls especially were trying very hard to control their excitement, but there was still the occasional high-pitched giggle, loud whisper and camera trigger, even though they had put up several signs clearly stating that pictures were not allowed. When the three of them had first appeared in their yukatas, the volume from the crowd's reaction was enough to make his eardrums bleed. For one split second, he had even worried about being mobbed. Thankfully, perhaps due to Tezuka's imposing presence, most of them had been satisfied with just gazing in admiration from where they stood.

Still, Oishi wondered if some precautions should be taken. "Do you think we need some sort of crowd control for when they come out?"

"That's not a bad idea, Oishi," Inui mused. "What do you think, Tezuka?"

The young captain nodded. "I agree. We might need help on getting a line organized."

Oishi got up. "I'll go get Arai and the others from the other room."

After the other boy left, Inui stood up to stand next to Tezuka. In a low voice, he asked, "Tezuka. Will you be taking pictures?"

Without facing him, the senior replied, "Of course not." After a beat, he said, "You are?"

Inui responded easily, "Of course."

"Inui. We promised."

"I don't plan to show them to anyone else." He paused and then with a slight smile, added, "You being the exception of course."

The other senior did not respond at first. When they heard Oishi and the others coming their way, Tezuka glanced over at Inui and simply stated, "Send me copies," before turning away again.

Inui grinned. "With pleasure."

"Captain, Inui-senpai," Arai and the three second-years with him greeted them.

The two seniors nodded in acknowledgement and then Oishi briefly explained what they were there for.

Arai laughed. "Oishi-senpai, so you're saying we're gonna have to be their bodyguards as well?"

Oishi pursed his lips. "Just make sure no one takes pictures, Arai, and stop laughing already."

Before he had the chance to say more, they were interrupted by the sound of running footsteps thundering their way from down the hall. It was Tomoka and Sakuno, and behind them, trying desperately to catch up, were Kachirou, Katsuo and Horio, all of whom were saddled down with bundles of what looked like bamboo stems. Upon hearing the minor ruckus, the boys inside the kitchen came out to look. One of the second-years, Kenji, pointed at the three first-years and chuckled, "You guys are even slower than the girls! That's pathetic!"

"S-S-Sen—" Katsuo attempted breathlessly in greeting but Horio cut in by screeching, "That's cuz we're carrying all this stuff, senpai! Help! Please!"

As the freshmen unloaded their burdens, the two girls went straight over to Tezuka's group. Without preamble, Tomo instantly asked while looking frantically around at the same time, "Where are they? Where are they? Are they here yet?"

Embarrassed, Sakuno gave her friend's sleeve a sharp tug before hastily dipping forward in a small bow to the upperclassmen in front of them. "T-Tezuka-buchou, Oishi-senpai, Inui-senpai. Senpais! Gomen!" Realizing her lack of decorum, the other girl instantly followed suit.

"That's all right," Tezuka replied. "Where is sensei?"

"Ah! Eto…." Sakuno blushed, tongue-tied as usual in the presence of the young captain.

"She'll be here soon, captain Tezuka. She had to go to the faculty lounge first." When she was sure that Tezuka was not about to ask anything else, she said, "Can I ask…where are they?"

Oishi cocked his head in the direction of the boys' lavatory. "They've been inside since they've arrived this morning."

"How long--?" Her words were interrupted by the sound of more people approaching, a larger group, most of them club members. Everyone was naturally there for the same reason, wanting to catch their first look before the festival officially started. Just as they were starting on their round of salutations, the door to the boys' room finally opened and suddenly the halls were filled with screaming girls as a whole herd of them rushed forward right away. Momentarily caught off guard by the sudden reaction, it took the 'bodyguards' a few seconds to spring into action. They firmly elbowed their way through the mostly female throng to place themselves in front of the restroom. Arai held his hands up for attention as soon as the many cameras came into view. "Hey, hey, people, remember, no pictures, and back off a little, will ya? You're gonna scare the ladies."

From inside the restroom, a familiar voice immediately snapped, "Shut up, Arai!"

Some of the girls groaned in disappointment. "Please, can't we just take a few?" one of them asked. A few even addressed Tezuka and Oishi directly, "Please, senpais! Just a few?"

Tezuka shook his head. "No pictures, we promised."

"Wait, wait! I don't mind the pictures!" Kikumaru called out as he made his first appearance, to much squealing and even a few catcalls. As was expected of his tastes, he was dressed in a yukata that was almost too cute for even a girl his age, much less a boy. It had a pattern of rabbits—rabbits!—in bold primary colors over a pink background. A deep red obi was tied around his waist which did not really match anything on his yukata. He had two small ponytails on either side of his head, bound with black elastic fasteners that had colorful beads at the end. His eyelids were colored with a generous amount of blue eye-shadow while his lips were painted in a too bright shade of pink. His own excitement had given his cheeks a natural flushed look. He had borrowed the yukata, hair accessories and make-up from one of his sisters, though it was obvious that he hadn't bothered to also borrow her expertise on color coordination. Nothing about Eiji's ensemble matched. Even though the beads were multi-colored, they still clashed with his yukata since they were not even in the same colors or tone. Instead, they almost stood out in their incongruity. While it was evident that some thought was put into his assembling his outfit, Eiji still looked like a boy trying to dress up as a girl based on a boy's idea of how girls' thought processes worked when they were planning their outfits. Despite so, the crowd hardly cared, completely won over by the senior's obvious enthusiasm and spirit.

They weren't the only one impressed. Oishi stared at his partner in slack-jawed awe. If someone hadn't accidentally nudged him while trying to get pass, he would have probably drooled in public. Luckily for him, the slight jostle snapped him back to reality and made him aware of his surroundings once again. Blushing at his own reaction, he straightened up quickly though he still couldn't remove his eyes from Eiji. He really could not understand: how could someone be so obviously color-blind and completely lacking in good taste when it came to clothing and yet _still_ manage to look so unbelievably _endearing _as Eiji did? The fact that he had a large goofy grin on his face while posing exuberantly for pictures only made him all the more adorable. Combined with his already inherent cuteness, Eiji was almost too much to bear. Oishi could feel his blood pressure steadily climbing more and more each minute.

This was going to be one long hell of a day for him; he was certain of it.

"Fuji! Come out so we can take some pictures together!" Kikumaru called over his shoulder. Without further ado, the tensai next made his entrance. As soon as the crowd saw him, a female chorus of "kyaaaah!"s rang out while the boys collectively gasped in amazement. A storm of cameras and phone cams furiously clicking away followed soon after. The heightened reaction was indeed justified: clad in a powder blue yukata with small blossom designs the color of cotton candy that was held together with a matching obi, Fuji was a vision of elegance. A simple pink flower adorned his hair and tiny beaded earrings were clipped on to his ears. A minimal amount of make-up had been applied to his face, only enough to emphasize the delicate quality of his fine features. There was a general air of maturity and sophistication about him that further contributed to the general feminine effect. Had it not been for the faint presence of his Adam's apple, Fuji could very well pass for a beautiful young woman.

"You look amazing, Fuji-senpai!" someone yelled out. The words were echoed by numerous other guys in the audience.

The tensai smiled and nodded in thanks. "Actually this is one of my sister's old yukatas that was altered to fit me. She helped me put all this together, even showing me how to apply the make-up properly," he explained. It was obvious to anyone who had eyes that his sister had done a very good job advising him.

"He really looks like…a girl," Kawamura breathed, utterly bewildered. He had suddenly appeared behind Inui and Tezuka in the doorway by entering through the door at the other end of the room. He had to cut through the tearoom in order to get around the crowd in the hall. Next to him, Tezuka nodded in acknowledgement and remarked, "He does."

"Now, if all of you have taken enough pictures," Fuji said after a while, "we would appreciate it if you could put away your cameras so that our other three maidens can also make their appearance."

There was a collective groan of disappointment at that (not to mention a few snickers in anticipation) to which the senior only shook his head and replied, "We have to cooperate or they won't come out."

It took a while but finally, the crowd gave in, or at least pretended to by slipping their cameras in their purses or pockets though still keeping it within easy reach. Knowing that there was only so much they could do to make the crowd cooperate, Fuji thanked them and then turned and cracked open the lavatory door to ask, "Now, which one of you first?"

From inside, some squabbling could be heard, but no one came out. Eventually, impatient with waiting, Kikumaru stuck his head in and yelled, "Geez! You guys ready yet? Come out already!" He paused for a response and then commanded in an exasperated voice, "Okay, then why don't _both_ of you come out at the same time?"When still no one complied, the senior briskly headed in and a second later, came out shoving both Kaidoh and Momoshiro through the door, much to their consternation.

Pumped full of excitement, the crowd instinctively started cheering. Some even whipped their cameras out from hiding. As soon as they got a good look at the two of them, however, their voices died in their throats and recoiled as one, appalled at the rather ghastly sight before them.

It took a while for the initial shock to wear off. Arai was the first to speak, asking in disbelief, "What the hell happened to you two?"

Momo rolled his eyes and blew out a breath in irritation. "Yeah, I know, I know, we look kinda screwed up."

"That…that's an understatement. I mean, you guys…you look _hideous_. Like a bad traffic accident or something along those lines."

"Hey! I get it!" Momoshiro snapped while Kaidoh glared menacingly at Arai.

While trying to hold in his laughter, another boy who also was part of the club commented, "Wow, Kaidoh, no wonder you were putting up such a big fight!"

"Yeah! He-he-he looks like a-a-a-a drag queen!" Someone else suggested, barely managing to finish before dissolving into snorting laughter.

"What are you talking about? They've gotta be uglier than drag queens," another boy corrected. "Especially Kaidoh. Sheesh, what happened to your face, man?"

Seeing that it was someone from his homeroom, Kaidoh growled, "You want to die, Kubo?"

Despite his murderous expression, however, inwardly, Kaidoh was actually grappling with a sense of mortification that was increasing by the minute. From the moment his name was drawn, he'd been fervently hoping, nay, _praying_, that he would somehow get sick so that he could back out of the festival altogether. Unfortunately for him, despite all his efforts, he still woke up this morning as fit as a horse. Had he been a less honorable person, he would have found the strength to just lie about his condition. As it was, he could blame no one else except for himself, for having such strong morals, and Luck, for abandoning him when he needed Her the most.

Peering keenly at the two second-years, one of the senior girls questioned, "Seriously, your yukatas…did you pick it out yourselves?"

Momo sighed. "No. Eiji-senpai lent it to us. He said he got them from some relative of his."

Piqued by his ungrateful tone, Eiji responded indignantly, "You didn't like any of my sisters', so I had to ask one of my aunts!"

"Your sisters' were too cute, senpai! I mean, I don't want to end up wearing a yukata with puppies and kittens on it!"

"What's wrong with having puppies and kittens?" the senior demanded.

Momo glanced away quickly before mumbling, "Nothing. If you're a five year old."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"But, especially for an older woman, isn't that print too…garish?" the girl wondered, her face scrunched up in distaste.

Eiji shrugged. "My aunt has very eccentric tastes."

"Well," a second-year girl inquired gingerly, "Then, what happened to…your faces? What I mean is… the make-up. Did you…did you guys do that yourselves? That wasn't done by Fuji or Eiji, was it?" It was not only obvious that their make-up was applied by someone who had no concept what make-up was for, but that several attempts had been made to correct mistakes without bothering to remove the previous layer.

Instead of answering, the two boys only glared up at the ceiling impatiently.

Someone else piped in with, "Your hair too! Why didn't you guys at least wear a wig or something?"

Chortling, one of the boys said, "I don't think that would've helped."

His friend added, "Yeah, yeah, a face-lift might've been better."

Fed up with the snide comments, Kaidoh snarled, "I'll give your face a face-lift right now, bastard..." He was held back by Momo, however, who only shot their critics a dirty look before saying rather smugly, "Look, if you guys think you're gonna hurt our feelings by saying we look ugly in drag, think again. I personally have never been more _relieved_. Right, Kaidoh?"

"Right yourself, you ass," was the other boy's grumpy answer.

"Hey! You damn viper! What the hell's your problem! I'm on your side!"

"I don't need an idiot like you on my side."

"Idiot! Who you calling idiot!" Momo yelled.

"Aren't you the idiot who _volunteered_ to do this?"

"That's—that's cuz you _challenged_ me!"

"That's why you're an idiot," Kaidoh shot back.

"If you call me idiot one more time, you bastard, I am going to kick your ass so hard—"

Once again, Tezuka prevented the impending fray by the simple utterance of their names from where he was standing. "That's enough," he added in a no-nonsense tone. The two boys could only continue to glare at each other, using their eyes as weapons.

"Everyone, you should stop harassing Momo and Kaidoh," Fuji said in a placating manner to further dissipate the tension in the air. "We should even commend them for their efforts. It does take a good amount of bravery and honor to stick to their word and do something they did not want to do in the first place."

"That's right, that's right," Eiji agreed while throwing his arms around the two boys' shoulders in support, "We should be proud of them."

"Yeah, we took one for the team, dammit, you should thank us!" Momo stated with feeling. Kaidoh only turned away in exasperation, wishing this day could be over with so that he could go home and go running.

"As long as you stay away from my table, I'll thank you all you want," one of his teammates replied.

Suddenly remembering that there was still one more person waiting in the wings, Kikumaru began jumping up and down excitedly and clapping his hands for attention. "Okay, okay, now, now, can we continue? We still have one more person to present to you, and I know for sure you guys'll like how _he_ turned out!" He then spun around and shouted into the room, "Ochibi! Come out, come out! It's your turn!"

As soon as he said that, Tomoka, who had been pushed to the side by the crowd of much taller upperclassmen, screeched, "Ryyyyooooma-samaaaaa!" and then proceeded to bulldoze her way through the other students to where he was, dragging a stunned Sakuno behind her. Her friend barely had a chance to even register what was happening before she was suddenly given a hard tug, making her trip a little. Had she not caught herself in time, Sakuno would have collided right into Ryoma, who had just stepped out. Instead, she found herself coming face to face with the freshman. Shocked at his proximity, she drew back reflexively and blushed crimson. "Ryo-Ryo—" she began but her timid stutters were soon overwhelmed by the roar of the crowd behind her.

From the girls, the following response was given:

"Kyaaaaaaah!"

"Kaaawaaaaiiiii!"

"You look so adorable, Echizen!"

"Aww, I want a picture of him!"

"He's just darling!"

"He's cute enough to hug!"

Whereas, from the boys, he got:

"He's as cute as a girl!"

"No! He looks cuter than a girl!"

"Damn, that brat actually looks pretty!"

"I think I'm falling for you, Echizen-kun!"

"I love you, Echizen!"

"Wanna go on a date with me, Echizen?"

"No, go out with me!"

Despite the mildly teasing tone of the crowd, they weren't exactly kidding when they commented on how the freshman looked. While Eiji's cuteness was mostly attributed to his positive attitude and earnest effort, Echizen's cuteness stemmed from a more inherent quality. Fact of the matter was, he _did _look rather feminine in his get-up, just as Fuji did in his, though in a different way. Whereas Fuji would be considered a beauty, the freshman looked like the pre-cursor to a beauty. He wore a red yukata, designed with gorgeous yellow and blue morning glories sitting on a network of intertwining green vines which spanned the entire garment. A satin blue belt, the same shade as the blue flowers, encircled his waist. Fuji provided him with the outfit, having borrowed it from a cousin who was close to Echizen's height and build. At first, Ryoma had only been willing to go as far as wearing the garment, but after much wheedling and harassing by Eiji, he had finally relented and allowed Fuji to tie a red ribbon in his hair, which ended in a neat bow on the side of his head. His face was almost completely bare, save for the minimal amount of red lipstick that colored his lips. It was still enough to emphasize the allure of his large, cat-like eyes and his perfect, heart-shaped face, thereby enhancing the visual aestheticism of his features as a whole.

Deciding that he'd had enough of the crowd, Echizen turned and began to walk. "Hey, Ochibi!" Eiji grasped the younger boy's shoulder in order to stop him. "Where're you going?"

"Echizen-chan! Don't leave yet!" a third-year boy called out. "We wanna admire you longer!"

"You can admire all you want when you pay for your meal," Echizen responded over his shoulder. When he reached Tezuka and the other seniors, he stopped to glare up at the young captain, who in turn was simply standing there, staring down at him with a strangely blank expression.

Frowning, Ryoma demanded, "What?"

Tezuka blinked and then shook his head before wordlessly stepping aside to let him through the door. The older boy watched as Echizen went over to one of the tables and slumped down beside it, sitting with his knees up against his chest and his palms resting on the tatami mat. With a good deal of effort, Tezuka forced himself to look away, unable to gaze at Echizen for even one second more. The gesture hardly helped: the image of the boy still appeared before his eyes. It was already seared into his mind as soon as he had laid eyes on him. He could feel the tell-tale rise of heat to his cheeks at the mental vision; heat was also coursing through the rest of his body, heading in the direction of his nether region. It took his entire willpower to clamp down on his reaction, and even then his control was tenuous at best.

"Echizen looks rather cute, don't you think, Tezuka?" Inui noted as he flashed a small smile at the other senior.

Tezuka's only answer was a neutral sound. Without giving Inui the chance to press on, he turned to face the crowd outside and stated in a commanding voice, "The festival is starting soon. Club members with the first shift for kitchen duties, go prepare. Fuji, Eiji, Kaidoh, Momoshiro, come in and get ready. Ikeda, Hayashi, get their belongings from the lavatory and move them to the kitchen room for safe-keeping.

"For those of you who would like to come in, please form a line starting from here to back that way. Arai, Kenji."

"Yes, captain!" they answered immediately.

"Get a few more people to help you keep the line in order." Without wasting another moment, the two boys hurried off to do as they were told.

"Looks like you have things under control." Tezuka turned at the sound of Ryuzaki's voice, who nodded with approval as she surveyed the scene.

After greeting her, he replied in the affirmative. Sakuno and Tomo both came up to greet her as well. "So, where're our other girls?" the older woman asked with a big grin as she looked around. As soon as she saw them, she chuckled in delight. "Not bad, not bad!" she declared as she looked at the two seniors and Ryoma appraisingly. "In fact, I'd like to say you boys are pretty darn convincing, but I doubt you'd consider that a compliment." When she came to the two second-years, she stopped, drawing back in dismay, only to let out a loud bark of laughter in the next second. "You two! What happened! You look horrible!"

"We know already!" the two boys answered unhappily.

Shaking her head in marvel at the contrast between the two boys and the other three, she tried to clamp down on her mirth as she questioned, "Are you sure I can't take a picture of you two? Cuz this is definitely one for the books. I'm sure one day you'll look back at this and find it as…" She couldn't help the giggle that escaped. "…as funny as we do."

"Sensei, is that suppose to make us feel better?" Momo said grumpily.

"Sorry, sorry, you know I'm just teasing you. I think you guys are great for doing this in the first place. I know how much you must be hating this." She then pulled out her camera to which Kaidoh instantly reacted with, "Sensei! No pictures!"

"I know, I know. This is for Eiji and Fuji and the others. I want pictures of everyone their yukatas. Come on you guys, gather 'round."

"Speaking of pictures," Tomo wondered, "Is Inoue-san and Shiba-san gonna be here today?"

"No!" The cry was simultaneously uttered by the three underclassmen. "_Please_ don't tell me they're coming!" Momo pleaded.

"I can't see why they won't," their coach replied. "They've known about our tearoom for a while already."

"Can't we…I dunno…stop them from coming in? Oh! Or better yet, can we just disappear when they arrive?" Both Kaidoh and Ryoma nodded eagerly in support.

Ryuzaki chuckled at that. "Stopping them is kinda out of the question. And I don't know how effective you three staying away would be considering they probably won't just come by and leave right away. You can't very well just go into hiding for as long as they're around."

"Why not?" Ryoma mumbled in a low voice.

"Sensei," Momo continued to whine, "Please, do something!"

The older woman raised her hand in a pacifying gesture. "All right, all right, I'll try my best." She paused and said thoughtfully, "Although, I'm a bit surprised they're not already here. Especially that Shiba. You'd think she'd be the first in line to see this, considering how much a fan she is of our little tennis prince here."

Sure enough, no sooner had Ryuzaki finished saying that did the two reporters show up, and as expected, as soon as Shiba caught a glimpse of Echizen, a dozen horses could not have held her back from barreling her way in. When told of the no pictures rule for the three underclassmen, Inoue was surprised but did not force the issue, since his purpose for the pictures was professionally-motivated anyways. He only needed a few snapshots for the article he was planning to write about the lighter side of the Nationals-bound Seigaku tennis team; therefore, it made no difference to him whether they were of all five of them or just of Fuji and Kikumaru.

Shiba, on the other hand, was a little more stubborn. Entirely motivated by personal reasons, she loathed to give up completely without at least _trying_. She _had_ to get a picture for her own collection. She would hate herself if she were to let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity escape without so much as even one photograph of her little idol in such a precious get-up. Since she couldn't snap pictures of Echizen out in the open, she ended up taking them in a more furtive fashion by using her phone instead of her camera. Though the results were less than ideal—she was only able to capture his scowling profile—they were enough to fulfill her little fan heart.

In actuality, many of the other patrons—mainly those who were students—were also trying to surreptitiously take pictures. They wanted pictures of Echizen to coo about, and pictures of the two second-years to laugh over. Though Tezuka eventually did catch on and solved the problem by enlisting some of the members to act as 'camera police', by then, enough damage had already been done. Unfortunately for the three reluctant 'waitresses', the unpleasant memories of that day would eventually come back and haunt them in all its pixilated glory.

Not everyone was having a bad time at the festival, of course. Kikumaru, for one, was in hog heaven, enjoying the attention he was receiving from everybody. He was an instant crowd favorite, to the point where he was eventually hopping non-stop from table to table and making constant trips to and from the kitchen. Upon seeing the frantic state his friend was in, Oishi even pitched in to help out. The vice captain actually welcomed the distraction; up until then, he had simply been hanging around, trying _not_ to let his eyes follow his partner's every movement.

Fuji was also quite popular as well, and therefore was just as busy. However, he did drop everything when he got a surprise visitor in the form of his little brother, Yuuta, who had just the night before insisted that he would not come to see him since the thought of his older brother in drag was just too mortifying for words.

For that reason, when Fuji spotted him hesitantly poking his head through the curtains of the entranceway, he immediately excused himself from the table he had been waiting on to go and greet him. The sight of his beloved sibling brought such joy to his heart that his lips automatically stretched into a blindingly bright smile. So pleased was he at the unexpected visit, that even when he saw who was directly behind Yuuta, his smile did not fade one bit. "Yuuta, you came," he said warmly, while ignoring the other person at the same time.

Not that Mizuki even noticed the slight, as his attention was thoroughly occupied by the sight of the other boy. Mouth falling open in amazement, the St. Rudolph captain blatantly raked his eyes up and down the entire length of Fuji's person as his brain tried to come to grips with the reality of the magnificent vision before him. Of course he had always recognized the other senior as possessing enough appealing physical attributes to make him aesthetically pleasing on a superficial level. After all, for Mizuki to even consider Fuji to be his one true rival, the boy would have to be at least outwardly decent-looking in addition to having superb tennis skills. However, it wasn't until this moment that he realized just how much he had underrated Fuji Syuusuke's appeal. In fact, he had to admit, the tensai's beauty might in fact even be comparable to his own.

Mizuki wasn't the only one astonished by Fuji's transformation. Yuuta also found himself staring at his brother, unable to immediately look away. Despite Fuji's slight build and delicate features, he never imagined that his brother could become such a convincing facsimile of a girl, and a very pretty looking girl at that. He groaned inwardly at the realization. It was bad enough that he had to constantly deal with his friends' remarks about how beautiful his older sister is; he really didn't want to have to listen to them telling him how beautiful his older brother is as well. He knew some of them were planning to drop by later on just to see how Fuji turned out. Frowning at his brother, Yuuta groused, "Did you really have to take it that far?"

Puzzled, Fuji cocked his head to one side for a second as he tried to figure out what the younger boy meant. "Oh, you mean my outfit? You think it's too much?" he sighed softly in mild disappointment. "I even asked Nee-san for advice so that I wouldn't overdo it. I guess I should have taken her up on her offer to help me get ready this morning instead of trying to do it myself."

Feeling a bit guilty, the younger Fuji let up a little and admitted rather reluctantly, "It's not _that_ bad. I just…I mean, when you told me about it, I thought you were just gonna wear the clothes. I didn't think you'd do the whole…hair and face."

"I can remove some of my make-up..."

"Sheesh, forget it. You're…you're fine, okay? I was just…just talking." Yuuta looked away awkwardly as he tried to think of something else to say to change the topic. "It's kinda crowded in here," he finished lamely. Indeed, except for the table that just vacated intended for them, all the other tables were currently occupied, mostly by parties of five to six people, hence contributing to the bustling feel of the medium-sized room.

"It is, isn't it? Here, we should go to your table." Though Fuji still had not acknowledged Mizuki's presence, in his daze, the other boy still knew to follow. After they were seated, the tensai went on to say, "It is a bit overwhelming, since we didn't expect so many to show up. We underestimated how popular our gimmick would be. Originally, there was only supposed to be just the five of us working the tables, and we'd even thought we could work in shifts. As you can see, we had to ask other team members who weren't originally assigned waiting duties to help out."

"So what's with the 20 minute time limit?" Yuuta questioned as he indicated the sign they had put up by the door.

"Ah, that. When people started staying longer than necessary, Tezuka had to set a time limit to give other folks a chance."

"He should even cut it shorter. We've been in line for over an hour," Yuuta informed him.

"Really?" Fuji replied, his face lighting up. Genuinely touched that his brother would even stand in line at all just for him, he said, "You should have asked one of the guys outside to get me. I would've come out to see you so that you wouldn't have to wait for so long. "

"It's fine, aniki," Yuuta grumbled in his usual cranky fashion whenever Fuji started doting on him. "Anyway, it wasn't my idea; Mizuki-san made me come in the first place."

Fuji finally glanced at the other boy, as if noticing him for the first time. With a small smile of gratitude, he bobbed his head once in acknowledgement and said, "Thank you for bringing my brother."

Caught in the radiance of Fuji's direct gaze, a rush of uncharacteristic self-consciousness overcame the usually unflappable boy. So strong was the unexpected surge of feeling that Mizuki felt almost nervous in its wake. His heart started hammering, as if trying to break free from the confines of his chest. He found himself momentarily forgetting the ability to speak, only capable of managing a rather unintelligible sound that resembled, "Aun".

Yuuta shot his senpai a funny look before turning back to Fuji, who had already returned his attention to him. "I should take your order first," Fuji was saying, "What would you like, Yuuta? Brother will treat you."

His sibling frowned. "I don't need you to treat me."

"I want to. It's been a while since I've had the opportunity. Here, why don't you try this tea set? I heard the cake's not too sweet, just the way you prefer it."

"I don't like that flavor of tea."

"I'll ask for something else. How about chrysanthemum? You like chrysanthemum, right?"

"Fine. Whatever." Yuuta then turned to Mizuki and asked, "Mizuki-san, what about you?" His words fell on deaf ears: the other boy still had not stopped starring at his brother with a glassy-eyed expression. Yuuta repeated his name, to no avail. When the senior didn't respond even after a fourth time, he grabbed his shoulder and gave him a firm shake that ended up being a bit on the rough side.

That brought Mizuki out of his self-induced stupor instantly. Annoyed at being man-handled, the older boy rubbed his abused shoulder gingerly and demanded in irritation, "What is it?"

"Sorry about that, Mizuki-san. I was saying, are you gonna order something?"

Scowling at the menu before him, Mizuki unconsciously pursed his lips in faint distaste at the selections. He really had no desire to order anything in this make-shift teahouse; he doubted anything produced by a bunch of unrefined middle-school boys would even be suitable for mass consumption, much less his more discriminating palate. His main purpose had only been to pay his rival a visit and to revel in being serviced by him. As he took in another eyeful of the other boy, he had to admit to himself that at this point, if Fuji were to offer him plain grocery store grade white bread on a platter, he would be willing to pretend as if it was the best thing he had ever tasted in his entire life. It was, after all, his one and only flaw—if he were really forced to find one—this magnanimous quality of his.

Deciding that one choice sounded just about as appetizing as the others, he met Fuji's gaze demurely and stretched his lips in what he knew to be his most disarming smile. Pushing the menu toward the tensai, he asked in a voice dripping with charm, "What would you suggest, Fuji-kun?"

Yuuta grimaced, mildly repulsed by the too-familiar endearment.

If Fuji noticed the odd behavior, he did not show it. "Everything on the menu is quite good," was his impartial reply.

"But there must be one that is better. Which is your favorite, Fuji-kun?"

"I haven't tried any of them."

"Oh. Then, you don't like cake?"

"I do."

"I do too! What kind of cake do you prefer?"

The other boy shrugged, his polite smile never wavering. "I don't really have a preference."

"How like you to be so easy-going, Fuji-kun."

Yuuta balked, feeling a little ill at what he was hearing. _What the heck are you doing, Mizuki-san, _he thought with a mental groan.

When Fuji still remained noncommittal after some time, Mizuki finally relented and said, "Mmm. How about the one you chose for Yuuta?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I'm sure it's good, since you recommended it."

"All right," Fuji got up and then told his brother, "I'll be back shortly, Yuuta."

As soon as his brother got up and left, Yuuta turned to the upperclassman and whispered fiercely, "Mizuki-san, what's up with you?" The way the senior was watching the departing figure of his brother was making Yuuta's skin crawl.

"What do you mean?" Mizuki inquired absently.

"What do I mean! You're—you're practically—" _Fawning over him,_ he finished in his head.He couldn't bring himself to say the words out loud for fear of offending his friend and mentor. At the same time, he doubt there was another way to describe it.

Barely paying attention, Mizuki began toying with a strand of his hair as he mused, "Yuuta, don't you think there's something different about your brother today?"

Perplexed, Yuuta furrowed his brows as he scratched his head. "Well, he is dressed like a girl, Mizuki-san."

Mizuki shot him a pointed glare. "Yes, _besides_ the obvious, Yuuta. What I mean is…there's just an extra aura of…something…deliciously intangible."

Yuuta stared at the other boy. "Hah?" was the only response he could think of.

Waving his hand dismissively, Mizuki let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course you wouldn't understand."

_I don't think I want to_, the younger boy thought with a shudder. "Anyway, now that I think about it, aniki just looks like a younger version of our sister. I don't know why I thought it was a big deal in the beginning."

"Oh yes, nee-san! Will she be coming?"

"In a few hours, probably."

"How wonderful! I would love to see them side by side. Ahmmphf, what a delicious portrait of seductive allure that would be!"

Yuuta wasn't sure what he was more disturbed by: what Mizuki was implying about his sister, or what he was implying about his brother. He practically recoiled in shock when he next heard the other boy speculate, "Hmm, I wonder what time Fuji-kun gets off? I wonder if he'd be willing to go out like that?"

O  
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"What does your brother see in that pompous ass?" Momoshiro asked as he followed Fuji back to the kitchen.

The senior sighed softly. "I think he looks up to Mizuki-san."

Momo made a face. "_Why_? Because of his so-called tennis skills?"

"I think that's a part of it. Or maybe Mizuki-san has other hidden virtues that only Yuuta can see."

"Aren't you being a bit too generous, Fuji-senpai?"

The older boy smiled in return. "Perhaps. Either way, if that's who Yuuta wants to spend time with, I have to respect his choice. He hates it when I interfere."

Just then, one of the boys ducked in from the other room and called out to the second-year, "Hey, Momo, someone's here to see you!"

"Eh?" The boy started in surprise. "For me?" He grabbed his order and started heading back. "Who is it? My family?" he asked as he passed his teammate.

Snickering, the other boy answered, "I don't think so. No way someone that cute could be related to the likes of _you_."

"What're you…AH! Ann-chan!" Shocked at seeing her, he almost dropped the tray he was holding. Fortunately, he caught himself in time, and instead spent several seconds grappling with it, causing the tea to slosh all over. At the outburst, people glanced their way curiously.

"Konnichiwa, Momoshiro-kun!" the girl greeted him cheerfully. "Oops, be careful with that! Here, let me help you."

"No, no, no, it's, uh, it's okay." To his horror, he felt himself getting red, which only got worse when he heard several of the other boys calling out to him, demanding if that was his girlfriend. As they started to hover around the two of them and ask more questions, Momo began looking for a way to get the hell out of there. When he saw Kaidoh walk by, he instantly thrust the tray at the other boy and said imploringly, "Hey, viper, take care of this for me, will ya?"

Kaidoh looked at him like he would a squashed bug. "Do you _know_ who you're talking to, bastard?" he hissed.

"Just take care of it for me! It's for table 3, okay! Please!" Without waiting for a response, the second year immediately rushed out the door, with Ann following closely behind, continuing to call out his name to stop him.

When he was some ways down the hall and out of the earshot of anyone in his team, he finally slowed down and came to a stop, allowing Ann to catch up with him.

"Where are you going?" she asked, chuckling lightly.

His face scrunched up in a slightly forlorn expression. "I don't know. I just wanted to get out of there for a bit."

"Don't tell me that's your first instinct when you see me? To run away? Otherwise, I think I'm going to be offended."

Dismayed that she may be serious, he immediately began explaining, "No! Of course not! I didn't mean it that way, Ann-chan! I only meant…."

She giggled and swatted at him playfully. "It's okay. I'm just kidding, silly."

Relieved, he sighed and then leaned back against the windowsill nearby. When a small group of passing students giggled and motioned in his direct, he straightened up right away, suddenly remembering what he was wearing. He felt embarrassed all over again. "Man, this is the worst!" he groaned.

"What is?"

"This!" He gestured at his outfit and at the room from which they had just come from. "This whole thing's like a bad dream."

Ann took a step back and looked him up and down carefully before concluding, "I don't think it's that bad."

"How can you say that!" he cried. "I don't know _what_ I was thinking. That damned viper, it's all his fault! I was just trying to show him…." He stopped, realizing there was no way he could explain what happened without sounding like a complete idiot. Suffice it to say, in trying to win an argument, he ended up losing the war.

Laughing softly, Ann went over to him to lean against the windowsill right next to him. "I think you're taking this way too hard, Momoshiro-kun. It's really not that bad. I think it's kinda funny, actually."

"Yeah, because I look so darn awful, right?"

"No, because you look so cute."

Momo looked at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

"No! I mean it. I really think you look very cute like that!"

He frowned. "I don't know if I should be offended or grateful you think that."

"The latter, of course! Actually, I wanted to ask you, even though there's a sign up there clearly saying no, can _I _take a picture of you?"

"Why would you _want _one?" he questioned in incredulity.

She shrugged. "It'll make me laugh." At the stricken look on the boy's face, she waved her hands quickly and explained, "Wait, I didn't mean it that way. What I meant was, every time I look at it, I will laugh because I'll think of how cute you look." She smiled rather shyly as she added, "It'll make me happy."

"Oh." He chuckled nervously and scratched beneath his eye with one finger. His cheeks had reddened again, though he didn't mind it as much this time.

"Although…." She began, but then paused.

"What?"

"I would rather _we_ take a picture together. I don't have one of those yet." She instantly bowed her head to hide her blush at saying something so bold.

Momo flashed a toothy grin, her sudden bashfulness somehow providing him with courage. "Let's take one later, when I'm out of this ugly mess."

"Are you going to be here the whole day?"

He blew out a puff of air as he thought about it. "Probably. I mean, I don't really have to work the tables cuz," he twisted his lips in a wry expression, "no one wants to see my ugly mug up close, but I still need to help out."

"Do you get a break? There's a lot of fun activities going on at the festival."

"Yeah, Tezuka-buchou told us to rotate breaks every other hour, but…." He hesitated. "I don't know if I really want to go around campus dressed like this." He then quickly added, "But maybe, maybe I could ask the captain if I could just take off a little earlier, since it's not like I'm in demand or anything. Do you mind…hanging around until then?"

"Of course not! There's a lot of stuff I can do in the meantime, so don't worry."

"That's great!" the boy exclaimed, clearly elated. Now with something to look forward to, perhaps the next couple of hours wouldn't be so hard to bear. Considering how busy it was in there, he could pass the time quickly. Just then, he remembered something. "That's right, Ann-chan, did you just come to see me, or did you actually want some tea? Sorry. I made you come out here without even thinking."

"That's okay, but…" she grimaced slightly, "we did sort of leave my brother behind in there."

Momoshiro jerked back in alarm. "You…you mean…Tachibana-san's here as well!" At her nod, he cried, "Oh gods, does that mean…does that mean that rhythm freak is around as well?" He looked around anxiously, as if expecting the other boy to appear any minute.

"Oh? You mean Kamio-kun? No, you lucked out. He and Shinji-kun went on a camping trip with some other friends from school this weekend."

He released a huge breath in relief. Someone up there was listening to his prayers after all. He could not think of a more humiliating situation than to having the rhythm freak see him in such a state. Other than Kaidoh, the only other person who could rile him up to a heightened degree was Kamio Akira.

Thankful for the minor reprieve, he grinned at Ann and said, "We should go back, before your brother starts wondering what I did with you."

O

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TBC in Part II (AKA, Ryoma's Adventures at the Cultural Festival)


	16. Focus Extra I: Tea with the Girls, Pt II

**Author's Note**: Happy St. Paddy's Day (to those of you in countries that celebrate it). For those of you who don't, erm, Happy Belated White Day!

Thank you once again to the very lovely Zen Nat for beta-reading for me, and any mistakes that may remain are entirely my own.

**Timeline: **Sometime in the future, after Tezuka's return, before the Nationals. So, in the present Focus timeline, Tezuka is still very much in Germany, and I will return to him being in Germany in the next chapter.

Once again, thank you for all of you who've read and posted such wonderful feedback! I really appreciate it, and I am deeply sorry that I haven't been able to respond to each of you personally, but I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!

**Rating**: R, R, R (and hopefully, I didn't veer beyond that)

**Focus Extra 1: Tea with the Girls, Part II**

In contrast, Echizen was experiencing what was probably the most aggravating day of his life with seemingly no end in sight.

He expelled a forceful breath in irritation as he headed back to the kitchen room once again to drop off yet another order, most likely his 100th one since this morning, or at least it felt like it.

If only he had stuck with his original plan to skip out on the festival altogether.

After all, he was fully justified in ditching these guys since right from the start, he suspected that he was a victim of foul play. As soon as Ryuzaki called out his name after Kaidoh's, he knew there was something stinky afoot. It was just too coincidental that the two people she selected would also happen to the ones who did not want to do it the most. What made it fishier was how, despite his demands, the old lady had not allowed him to see the pieces of paper with his own eyes, using the ensuing merry uproar from his stupid teammates to conveniently ignore him. Finally, there was that weird gleam in her eyes, which was just a tad too bright to be innocent. He would not put it past that old hag to choose him and Kaidoh just because she got a kick out of their obvious aversion to the whole idea.

Since he knew there was no way to back out of the event upfront, he had decided to do it in a stealthier fashion, to borrow a page from the old lady's book, so to speak. Therefore, he had quietly gone along with them, protesting little even when Fuji first presented him with the atrociously girly yukata. He'd teach them in the end, he had figured. Come the day of the event, he would just not show up; he had even planned to spend a few hours at some arcade, just in case they came looking for him at home. After it was over, what could they really do? He knew they were not the type to use serious physical force, and even if they were, that hardly scared him. The possibility of being branded a coward or traitor or worse worried him even less. Names bounced right off him. He had no weaknesses for them to use against him, so he was confident that the ball was entirely in his court.

And things would have easily gone according to plan had it not been for Tezuka.

Echizen frowned as he thought of the older boy. It was Tezuka's fault. Tezuka, who always brought out in him a strange desire to…obligate. Someone more unabashedly self-aware would probably use the word 'please' instead, but Ryoma was not that type of person of course. Usually, his strong sense of compulsion would be triggered by a seemingly innocuous statement or observations from the other boy; it was no different this time.

More specifically, it was something Tezuka had said last night, when he was over at the other boy's house….

_Start of flashback…._

_Tezuka: You seem to be taking all this well._

_Him: What do you mean?_

_Tezuka: I just figured…you would…protest a bit more. You seemed very…displeased that day._

_Him: I _am_ still displeased._

_Tezuka: Oh. But…you'll still go through with it?_

_Him: What? You want me to skip out on it?_

_Tezuka: No. _

_Tezuka: …_

_  
Him: What is it already?_

_Tezuka: The truth is, I was…a little…looking forward to tomorrow. _

_Him: _What?

_Tezuka: I just thought it'd be interesting._

_Him: For _who_ exactly?_

_Tezuka: I know, it's unpleasant for you; that's why I'm grateful you're going through with it. I'm kind of curious, you know, about how you'd look. _

_Him: _Why

_Tezuka: I don't know. _

_Him: … _

_Him: Weirdo._

_Tezuka: Probably. I still look forward to seeing you tomorrow._

…_end of flashback _

That was it. To most people, their short conversation was entirely insignificant and even forgettable, but somehow the senior's simple admission found a way to crawl under his skin and nest there, creating enough of an impact to actually make him wake up at an ungodly hour this morning and sit up in bed scowling for an hour or two in confusion because he wasn't sure what had caused him to wake up in the first place and then in the end make him walk to school like some good soldier so that he could become trapped in his current predicament.

At this point, Echizen wasn't even sure what he was more irritated by: Tezuka, for being so unintentionally influential, or himself, for being so easily influenced by the other boy, especially considering that this had absolutely nothing to do with his tennis but rather with overlooking his own sense of pride. Either idea held unappealing implications which, though a voice in the far, far, faaar recesses of his mind was willing to acknowledge, the more conscious part of him was refused to agree to, hating the general mushiness of the mere thoughts. He was not some smitten teenager, as he has often reminded himself, and therefore should not be prone to the typical silly inclinations that were brought about by being thoroughly attached to someone on both the emotional and physical level, even if his feelings for the older boy did fit that description.

No, a better way to think of this was that he was simply doing Tezuka a favor.

Not that, that damned person even deserved it. The senior hardly showed any appreciation for the trouble Echizen had gone through for his sake. First, there was the fact that Tezuka did not even react at all upon first seeing him this morning. There was already something inherently odd in the guy's complete lack of reaction to his appearance especially considering their conversation last night. Since there were others around, Echizen had been willing to allow that maybe the other boy just didn't want to say anything in front of them. It didn't really explain how the other boy seemed to be avoiding even simple eye-contact: more than once, Ryoma would catch Tezuka looking in his direction out of the corner of his eyes, but when he actually turned to face him, the senior would quickly look away. It was weird, to say the least, and definitely not helping his already sour mood.

"Iya! Is that really a boy? He looks as cute as a girl!"

Echizen gritted his teeth, right away knowing that the woman from the next table was referring to him since no one had questioned whether or not his Eiji-senpai was a girl, and they usually referred to his Fuji-senpai as 'pretty' or something along those lines. All morning he's had to deal with similar comments all morning, and instead of becoming immune to them, he only became more incensed. Though he had never given much thought to his own looks nor relished the compliments he received for them, what he did notice and absolutely _hated _was when people used the word 'cute' as a misguided means of praising his physical attributes. He could not think of anything more insulting than being called 'cute' or variations thereof. He didn't care if the speaker usually meant it with the utmost sincerity; as far as he was concerned, anyone who called him cute was instantly on his shit list. As a matter of fact, he would have preferred being called hideous than being called 'cute'.

What made it worse was that never in his life has he had to listen to people say that about him over and over again in such a short period of time with no means of escape. Ryuzaki had to hold his bag hostage when it looked like he was ready to bolt after the first hour. As far as he was concerned, he was being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, no different than if they were to lock him in a room with both Horio and Osakada. In fact, some of the squealing girls even reminded him of Osakada. What frustrated him the most was that despite his obviously displeased demeanor, since he was glowering most of the time, people were not intimidated by him at all. If anything, that encouraged them even more to call on him. It was completely different from what happened with his Kaidoh-senpai, who got reassigned to the kitchen room because his unpleasant scowl was scaring people. Echizen actually envied the look of immense relief on Kaidoh's face when Ryuzaki handed down the order. He could only wish he was that lucky. Considering his popularity with the crowd, which rivaled that of Fuji and Eiji, he doubted he would be relieved of his duties any time soon.

To top it off, though it was bad enough dealing with people from school whom he marginally knew, he also had to deal with people outside of Seigaku, whom he entirely did not expect to see and did not want to see for that matter. First there was that reporter lady, who he had always thought of as an older twin to that Osakada. He couldn't even hide his consternation when she came dangerously close to glomping him when she saw him. Ironically, had Osakada not forcefully restrained her, that older lady would have succeeded. After such an off-putting display of overzealous enthusiasm, she did not curry any further favor with him when she then started harping about how adorable and cute he looked Echizen was actually worried for a moment there that she would end up staying the entire time; thankfully, Ryuzaki was able to get rid of them by pointing out that their presence was disrupting their event.

Then, there was that St. Rudolph manager who got pummeled by Fuji during their match and Fuji's little brother. Fortunately, it took the manager guy a while to even notice Echizen, what with his attention being riveted on Fuji. Ryoma actually found it kind of creepy how that guy was eyeing his senpai. It was similar to how a weasel would eye a chicken in a coop.

And when he did finally focus on the freshman, Mizuki's only reaction was to snicker haughtily and remark rather lamely despite his patronizing tone, "Oh look, Yuuta, what a pretty little sister."

The younger Fuji, on the other hand, responded a bit more dramatically by blurting out, "Echizen?-! You…you look cute!" Shocked at his own outburst, Yuuta had turned beet red and uttered a hasty apology while lowering his eyes to the table in chagrin. Echizen only rolled his eyes in exasperation without bothering to say a word. Fortunately, he did not need to interact with them that much during their visit since Fuji kept them company for the rest of the time. Ryoma was still glad to see them leave shortly after they were done.

Of course, little did he know that the worse was yet to come.

Shortly around noon, as he was making yet another of his trips from the tearoom to the kitchen room, a familiar loud voice suddenly rung out from the distance, calling out his name, "Echizen-kuuuun!"

Echizen stopped and sighed, thinking once again about how he really should have stayed home. He could already hear the sound of running footsteps bounding his way, his name being yelled the entire time. Bracing himself for what was probably going to be another unpleasant addition to the already unpleasant day, he turned around stiffly to acknowledge the other person as soon as the footfalls came to halt behind him.

"It's you," was his rather disgruntled greeting.

The first year captain of the Rokkaku tennis club beamed, completely oblivious to the lack of warmth in Echizen's welcome. "Echizen-kun! Waaah! You look so cuuuute!"

Echizen frowned and drew back a little when Kentarou put both of his hands on his shoulders. _If he tries to hug me, I'm going to hit him_, he thought in displeasure.

Kentarou continued. "You even have make-up on! Sugoi, Echizen-kun! You're just too adorable! You really look like a girl! Can I take a picture? Can I?"

"No," Echizen snapped. "Let go of me, I have to get back to work."

"Don't go so soon, Echizen-kun! I came here just to see you!"

"It's really busy."

"It is, isn't it? We've been in line for a while." Kentarou then poked his head into the room to take a look. "Wow, impressive! Echizen-kun, you guys did a great job! Ah! Hey! Eiji-kun! Oishi-kun! Momoshiro-kun!" He laughed when he saw the second year. "Momoshiro-kun, you look funny!"

"Who you calling -kun, underclassman?" the older boy shouted in retort from inside.

With a hearty chuckle, Kentarou immediately ducked in apology. "Gomen, gomen! Momoshiro-san! Eiji-san! Oishi-san!"

"Look, you're blocking the doorway," Echizen pointed out impatiently upon seeing one of his teammates try unsuccessfully to get around the other boy. Ryoma tugged Kentarou to the side in exasperation and then asked, "You said 'we', who else is with you?"

"Eh? Oh! Saeki-san! He got me the tickets. I think he got them from Fuji-san." He then spun around to yell in the direction of the tearoom line, "Heeeey! Saeki-saaaaan! I found Echizen-kuuuuun!"

The frosted hair boy leaned out from the middle of the queue and raised his hand in a tentative wave, probably embarrassed by the attention his teammate was attracting. "Saeki-san!" Kentarou went on to shout, "Come over here!"

The other boy shook his head firmly and started gesturing frantically to them. Kentarou peered intently at his comrade and then shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand, Saeki-san!" he yelled.

Peeved by the racket the Rokkaku captain was making, Echizen grumbled, "He's telling you to go over there."

"Ah! You're right! I'll be right back, Echizen-kun! Stay right there, okay?-!"

"Who is that?" Echizen started slightly, surprised to find that Tezuka had materialized beside him all of a sudden.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned the senior.

"I saw you two from inside."

Echizen couldn't help smirking at that. So Tezuka has been watching him the whole day. It still didn't explain the avoidance, but it did satisfy him to know that it hadn't been his imagination. When Tezuka repeated the question, Ryoma told him.

"I see," was Tezuka's rather non-committal response. Before Echizen had a chance to say anything more, Kentarou was already hurrying back. He stopped short in his tracks at seeing the taller boy.

"Ano, are you…?" the other captain began inquisitively.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu. Nice to meet you."

Kentarou's face lit up. He grabbed Tezuka's hand and pumped it vigorously while gushing, "I knew I recognized you from somewhere, Tezuka-buchou! It's a real pleasure meeting you! I've heard so much about you already! It's a big shame you were in Germany when we were up against your team! I would've loved to play against you too! Sugoi! You're really as tall as they say! Oh! I'm really sorry! Am I shaking your hand too hard? How's your arm doing? I saw your match against Atobe-san! It was really something! I was really amazed at your determination and skills! What a great tennis player you are!"

Disconcerted by the rush of words, Tezuka was only able to utter a simple, "Thanks."

"You're more than welcome, Tezuka-buchou! Say, do you think we could have a match any time soon? I know! How 'bout today? After the festival? Oh wait. Shoot! I didn't bring my racket! How about tomorrow? Tomorrow's Sunday so that'll be perfect. What d'ya say?"

"I'm busy tomorrow."

"Ah, that's a shame. What about next weekend? Next Saturday after class? Or even Sunday? I'm free all next weekend!"

Tezuka faltered. Seeing that he was put on the spot, Echizen decided to rescue him by asking Kentarou, "Hey, did Saeki-san want something?"

The other freshman blinked, momentarily disoriented by the change in subject. He crinkled his forehead and then gasped in embarrassment when he remembered. "That's right! I was supposed to tell Fuji-san that Saeki-san's here!" He quickly ducked inside the tearoom to search for the senior.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Tezuka commented, "He's…quite a character."

Echizen agreed. "Yeah, like Kikumaru-senpai after too much caffeine." He glanced up at Tezuka and saw that the other boy was looking down at him with a slight smile, amused by the very appropriate description.

Kentarou returned just then, with Fuji in tow. Saeki spotted him right away and immediately got out line to come over to join them. The people in line were currently twittering excitedly at the sight of the tensai, and some flashes even went off.

Twisting his lips grumpily, Ryoma complained, "I thought we said no pictures."

Fuji turned from waving to his fans in line and said reassuringly, "I doubt they caught you, Echizen, since I'm right in front. Don't worry."

"But, why don't you want your pictures taken, Echizen-kun?" Kentarou asked, "You look adorable!"

"That's not a good thing," he seethed.

"Eh? Why? I think it's a great thing!"

Echizen expelled a breath forcefully, deciding there was no point in arguing with a moron.

Saeki reached them then, and in on seeing Fuji, his eyes widened in wonder as he breathed, "Fuji! You look…." He seemed at a loss as to how to finish that.

Fuji smiled and responded, "Thanks. I'm glad you came, Kojirou."

"Me too," his friend replied absently as he continued to blatantly stare at the tensai.

A corner of Echizen's lips quirked up. _This guy has it bad for Fuji-senpai_, he thought in amusement.

At least he wasn't salivating over Fuji like some of the other guys have been doing, the manager from St. Rudolph being the perfect example.

It was a bit baffling, this effect Fuji had on guys sometimes, Echizen mused. Sure, his senpai looked pretty good today, but then he looked about the same everyday. He did not understand why they were overreacting to such a ridiculous degree, as if they have never seen his senpai before. To him, Fuji had always looked rather feminine, even the grace he exhibited on the court had a feminine quality to it. He always considered it one of his senpai's virtues, the fact that his deceptively delicate outward appearance completely masked his surprisingly powerful strengths. Therefore, in his eyes, he did not see Fuji as being any different from any other day; the superficial accessories he had on today only emphasized what was always present.

Then again, he wondered if perhaps the reason why he didn't see any difference was because he wasn't looking at Fuji from the same perspective of a lovesick moron.

"Oh yeah! Echizen-kun, would you like to join us for lunch?" Kentarou inquired out of the blue. "Saeki-san and I were hoping to see you and Fuji-san so we could go eat together. Tezuka-buchou, how about you? Would you like to come as well? We were thinking of getting something down by the basketball courts; there's a whole bunch of food booths there and all of them smelled really delicious!"

"No, thank you," Tezuka declined politely, "I have to stay and help so that the others could go to lunch. Someone already bought food for me."

Echizen immediately jumped in with, "You need me to stay behind too, right, captain?" He shot Tezuka a meaningful look which quickly turned into a mild glare when it took the older boy a second too long to get the hint.

"Yes," Tezuka simply said to the Rokkaku captain. Ryoma nodded, pretending to acknowledge the request though he was actually nodding in approval of the young captain's response.

Kentarou groaned in disappointment, visibly deflating. "Seriously? Can't you spare him for just a short time, Tezuka-buchou?"

"Yes, Tezuka, can't you?" Fuji questioned as well. Echizen scowled at him, but the tensai only flashed a small, mischievous smile in return. "Actually, I asked my little brother to meet me down there so we can join up with him and eat together."

Echizen made a face at that. "You mean that weird manager guy is also waiting?"

Fuji blinked. "You mean Mizuki-san?" Obviously he hadn't even remembered that Mizuki was with his brother. He shrugged and answered, "I guess so, since he was present when I told Yuuta."

"I'll definitely pass."

"Then I'll stay here with you while you eat!" Kentarou volunteered cheerfully.

Echizen instantly responded with, "I'm only eating a quick lunch."

"That's okay! Even if it's only for 10 minutes…!"

"Less than that."

"That's okay too! I'll stay with you for as long as I can!"

"What for?"

"Cuz I'd like to eat with you!"

"I already told you—"

"I promise I won't take up too much of your time."

"Neh, why don't you just come back later?" Echizen finally said, getting more irritated.

"That's right, Kentarou, we're going to come back for tea later on anyways," Saeki reminded his captain.

"But," the younger boy cried almost helplessly. "I'll have to get back in line all over again, Saeki-san!"

"Mataku, then we'll get in line again. Stop being so persistent; can't you see you're putting him on the spot?"

The Rokkaku captain jerked back in consternation. "I am?" He turned to Echizen. "Echizen-kun, am I?"

Ryoma sighed, mildly exhausted. He knew the other boy meant well and was relatively harmless, but his nerves were already stretched as they were so he couldn't spare any more patience for him. "Just come back later."

Kentarou widened his eyes, as if suddenly realizing something. "Aaaah, I see!" Echizen furrowed his brows at him, not liking the sound of it.

Kentarou slapped a palm against his forehead and then shook his head in reproach. He then leaned in close to Echizen—who reacted by automatically moving back, not liking the invasion of his personal space—to whisper in a rather loud voice, "Echizen-kun, is it because you're worried…_that person's_ gonna be upset?"

"What?" When the other boy inched closer, Ryoma was forced to lean further back.

"You know," Kentarou said in a low voice that was still audible to those around him, "That person."

Having no clue whatsoever as to who the heck he was referring to, Echizen straight out demanded in annoyance, "What are you talking about?"

The Rokkaku captain inched forward even more. "You know, _the person you like_."

At first Echizen only stared at Kentarou as if he'd just grown two horns from the top of his head. It took him a few beats to recall the conversation they had a while back regarding the matter, when he finally did, his eyes widened in bewilderment at the reference. Speechless, he glanced off to the side, not sure what he could say to that, and not wanting to pursue the topic further either. That had been a rather unpleasant conversation they had overall for various reasons, and he really wasn't in the mood to revisit those old grounds right now.

"Ah, I see," Kentarou was saying presently, obviously mistaking Ryoma's silence as confirmation. He nodded in understanding.

"Who is this person you like, Echizen?" Fuji inquired, the degree of sincerity on his face never lessening.

The freshman narrowed his eyes at his senpai and answered dryly, "No one, Fuji-senpai."

To Echizen's astonishment, Kentarou suddenly jumped back and began bowing furiously while exclaiming, "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Echizen-kun!"

Slightly dismayed by the scene the other boy was making, Ryoma eyed Kentarou warily while asking, "What is it now?"

"Gomen! I…I shouldn't have spoken so carelessly! I apologize for my complete lack of discretion!"

"It's fine," Echizen muttered grumpily. "Straighten up already."

Kentarou sighed in relief. "Thank you for being so generous as to forgive me, Echizen-kun. I'm such an idiot. I can't help it. Every time I see you, I somehow get so excited that I just completely forget myself!"

Echizen frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "I already said it's fine."

"I think that's rather nice, Kentarou-kun," Fuji assured him.

_Thanks a lot, Fuji-senpai_, Echizen thought sarcastically. He then glanced in the direction of the tearoom and said, "I should get back inside."

"I should too," Tezuka agreed.

"Ah, Tezuka, then if you don't mind," Fuji said, "I'd like to take a small break to lunch with Kojirou and my brother."

"Enjoy your lunch."

Glad that this irksome interlude was at long last coming to an end, Echizen nodded once at Kentarou while mumbling, "Ja ne."

Just as he and Tezuka were about to return to the tearoom, they were interrupted by a sudden commotion from the other end of the hallway. Girls who had been standing in the tearoom line were currently reacting loudly and with much fervor to a small group of people that had just arrived, swarming around them at the same time as if they were some popular idol group. Some girls were even rushing past the five of them to join in on the excitement. When Echizen finally got a look at who the newcomers were, he almost couldn't stop the mental groan from escaping his lips.

Great, this is _just_ what he needed.

His lips twisted in distaste as he watched the almighty monkey king of Hyotei and his band of sycophants revel in the ardent adoration of the surrounding female throng, most of whom were excitedly calling out to the captain.

"It seems Atobe-san is popular everywhere," Fuji commented.

"Apparently," Saeki muttered. Echizen furrowed his brows, not at all understanding the monkey king's attraction.

When the Hyotei members finally had the decency to disentangle themselves, they headed straight for Echizen's group. Atobe stopped right in front of them and then placed a hand haughtily on his hips in a pose that brimmed with self-importance. He ran his eyes up and down Echizen in a deliberately fashion and then smirked.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here. What a cute little lamb. What do you think, Kabaji? Shall we ask this missy to play with us?"

"Usu!"

In addition to the giant, Atobe also brought along with him the two doubles pairs, Oshitari and Gakuto, Shishido and Choutarou; the guy whom he crushed during the Hyotei tournament (Hiposhi? Hitoshi? Echizen could never remember his name), and three servants consisting of a butler and two maids. As if having his own entourage wasn't enough to attract plenty of attention, the Hyotei captain also dressed the part of a wanna-be rock star: he had on a bright violet satin vest that stretched tightly across his chest, and equally tight black jeans. Over this he wore a floor-length, leopard print coat with fur-trimmed lining. To complete the picture, he wore around his neck a black leather chocker with a silver pendant of what was probably his family crest and black leather boots. He even had the trademark sunglasses, which he had seated atop his head.

When his fangirls got a bit too rowdy, distracting him from what he was about to say, he held up one finger and they fell silent immediately. Without looking behind at them, he simply snapped his fingers and as one, they excused themselves and backed up right away, dispersing into smaller clusters to watch him and the others quietly from a distance.

Satisfied, Atobe turned his attention back to the audience before him and asked regally, "Now, where were we?"

"Atobe." Tezuka nodded once in greeting.

The other captain gave the senior a once over approvingly. "Tezuka. Not bad. In fact, you look quite distinguished in a yukata. I'll have to remember that."

Echizen pursed his lips in displeasure, hating the implied familiarity in Atobe's words and the way he practically purred them. While he had long acknowledged the guy's skills in tennis, Ryoma still disliked him completely on a personal level. There were too many aspects of the senior's personality that he found irksome, his presumptuousness toward Tezuka being one of them. He was one step away from calling Tezuka by his first name, and Echizen did not appreciate it one bit. He was not sure why his tolerance threshold was so low when it came to the Hyotei captain, though Tezuka had once half-jokingly suggested that it may be bourne from a sense of jealousy. The mere idea that he would ever be jealous of someone like Atobe was outright ridiculous, and he had told Tezuka as much. He was more inclined to believe his ill-feelings toward the other senior was the result of a general sense of disgust that was entirely justified.

His expression must have hinted at his train of thoughts because Atobe was now looking at him with a mocking smile. "Though I'd still love to borrow your little prodigy here some day. Gakuto, you just might have to surrender your crown."

Oblivious to his captain's insincerity, Ootori's face lit up as he recalled, "That's right! Mukahi-senpai, you got crowned #1 in a beauty contest when you dressed up as a girl for our school festival, didn't you?"

"Not just _a_ girl. I was a _princess_," the senior corrected him loftily. "I wore a full head-dress and kimono, not this simpleton robe he's wearing. He's a pheasant in comparison."

For the life of him, he could not figure out why this idiot would think he'd be offended by something like that. Deciding that Gakuto wasn't even worth his troubles, he simply shrugged and uttered nonchalantly, "Mada mada dane."

What he found more disconcerting was the way that Hipochi or Hizouchi guy was staring at him. Though he hadn't said one word since their arrival, he also hadn't taken his eyes off of Echizen. He was almost sneering at him, which made Echizen wonder if he still held a grudge for losing to him during the tournament.

Meanwhile, Oshitari, who had been appraising Fuji like a potential buyer would a piece of artwork they were interested in purchasing, spoke up by saying, "Nice, Fuji-kun. I would have to say you definitely have Gakuto beat, hands down."

"Just cuz of the yukata?" his partner argued, obviously offended by his words, "He barely has any make-up on!"

"That's what's so appealing about the entire look, Gakuto. Simple but elegant, ne? Atobe, wouldn't you say he looks even better than most of the girls we know?"

"Mmm, indeed," his captain concurred.

The tensai smiled easily in gratitude. "Thank you," he answered with a small nod. Echizen caught the suspicious way Saeki was eyeing Oshitari. Fuji continued, "Were you all planning to visit our tearoom?"

"Naturally," Atobe responded. "Though, admittedly, I was a little disappointed to see that Tezuka wasn't included in the role-playing aspect of your event."

"My team members decided I should be excluded from dressing up," Tezuka explained.

"Really? What a shame. Does that mean you're exempt from providing service as well?"

"My main responsibility was to act as host, but I might have to help with the tea service in the next hour so that the others could break for lunch."

"Is that so?" Atobe's lips stretched slowly in a honeyed smile, "Then we came at the perfect time, didn't we, Kabaji?"

"Usu!"

Kentarou cleared his throat just then and after a quick bow, greeted the Hyotei captain by saying in a remarkably composed manner devoid of even a trace of the hyperactive behavior he exhibited earlier, "Captain Atobe, it's nice to see you again."

"Ah, yes, Rokkaku's captain, aren't you?"

"Hai. You can just call me Kentarou, Atobe-buchou. We didn't get a proper chance to speak last time but I've always wanted to let you know that I've been following your tennis career closely, not as a rival, but as a fan. Your match against Tezuka-san is one that will forever be engraved on my memory."

Echizen eyed Kentarou with slight disapproval. Was that a hint of hero-worship he detected in the other freshman's tone? As if the monkey king needed any more praise to inflate his already big gigantic head.

The blazing smile Atobe offered in return probably would have melted rock. Echizen was disgusted to see Kentarou actually blushing in response. "As it should be," the senior agreed. "My brilliant prowess alone is already worth the remembrance."

Kentarou nodded eagerly. "I agree, I agree. You were amazing, Atobe-buchou!"

Having heard enough, Echizen turned to go back inside and would probably have made it this time had Eiji and Oishi not chosen that very moment to appear, making him come to a screeching halt.

"Ah! It's Hyotei!" Kikumaru exclaimed while flashing a wide, welcoming grin.

Echizen tried to swerve around the two of them, but was unfortunately captured by Kikumaru, who, upon seeing him, called out his name in delight and then pulled him into a fierce bear hug, just about draping his entire weight onto his shoulders. Ryoma attempted in vain to squirm out of the older boy's stranglehold. In the end, he could only fume silently as he remained within Eiji's clutches.

Choutarou was gaping at Kikumaru with an expression that was a mixture of puzzlement and wonder. "Eiji-san, you…you're dressed up too?"

"Konnichiwa, Otori-kun! What d'ya think, nyah? Don't I look cute?" Eiji gave a quick spin and waited expectantly for his feedback.

The other boy began hemming and hawing while trying to come up with the appropriate response so his partner jumped in instead to answer bluntly, "You look weird, man." Shishido's lips were curled up in distaste.

Utterly offended, not just by the other senior's words but also by the chuckles it produced from the other Hyotei members, stabbed his fists against his hips indignantly and cried, "That's mean, Shishido-kun! I put a lot of effort into this! As if _you_ can do any better!"

Shishido snorted. "First of all, I'd never do it in the first place. I don't get off on being humiliated."

"Senpai!" Choutarou hushed his friend and then raised his hands in a placating manner at Kikumaru who was practically fuming. "Eiji-san, sorry! Really, you don't look bad at all."

Eiji narrowed his eyes at him. "What?"

Choutarou panicked. "Eto! I mean, you look…cute! You look very cute!"

"You _sure_ you mean that?"

"Yes, yes!"

The older boy sniffed and grudgingly accepted his compliment.

Echizen just about guffawed when Shishido next pointed at Eiji's robe and asked, "What the hell, are those bunnies?"

Before the other boy had the opportunity to get properly riled up, the Hyotei senior was distracted by the sudden appearance of Kaidoh, who happened to be crossing from one room to the other.

"Shit!" Shishido exclaimed as he jerked back, stunned. "What the hell are you wearing, Kaidoh?"

Though the second year had already removed most of his make-up, he was still wearing the gaudy yukata which was sufficient in stopping anyone in their tracks. Kaidoh hissed threateningly at Shishido but that only made the older boy cackle louder. "Gods, I can't believe this! Damn, you look fucked up! What happened?"

Since his senpai was standing slightly behind him and Eiji, he couldn't quite see Kaidoh's expression clearly, but he could still picture the wrath that was no doubt starting to build in his demeanor. He wondered idly if the second-year would hold back against someone older than him. It would definitely be entertaining if he didn't.

"Ano, Shishido-kun, I don't think…." Oishi started to say but Shishido cut him off by asking Kaidoh, "Hey, so where's your partner, Inui? Is he also dressed up?"

"No," the senior answered himself, coming over to join them. One of the second years was taking his place as cashier. "I'm not working the tables so I only had to wear a yukata."

"Smart thinking, Inui," the other boy remarked. "You could've ended up looking like the viper here."

All of a sudden, Eiji and Echizen were roughly shouldered aside as Kaidoh marched forward while shoving up his sleeves in challenge. In a split second Oishi had his arm out to blockade his path just as Tezuka said commandingly, "Kaidoh."

Though warning was an effective deterrent, it was apparent that Kaidoh was still on edge. Echizen couldn't blame him. After being forced to hold in his temper for so many hours, the second year had to be ready to pop; he was probably just waiting for any excuse to blow up. Ryoma was actually amazed his senpai even lasted this long.

Inui adjusted his glasses and responded to Shishido's words by stating thoughtfully, "I don't think Kaidoh looks that bad."

Surprised, Kaidoh twitched at the unexpected compliment and then turned his head to the side quickly. Echizen smirked; he could actually see a hint of red on the older boy's cheek from his profile.

Shishido let out an incredulous laugh. "You're kidding me. He looks like a damn clown!"

The second year instantly turned back and barked, "HEY!"

"Now now, play nice, Shishido," Atobe scolded his teammate, "Spare him some dignity."

"Oh, so it's Hyotei and Rokkaku. I was wondering why everybody was out here." The boys turned as one to see Ryuzaki in the doorway beaming at them with her hands on her hips. After everyone made their proper greeting to her, Tezuka apologized for his teammates for momentarily abandoning their posts.

Ryuzaki waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, we can manage. You guys haven't had much of a break since this morning anyway." Addressing the boys from the other teams, she asked, "You boys plan on visiting our tearoom?"

"Of course, Ryuzaki-san," the Hyotei captain answered smoothly, "We came here just for that reason."

"So did we! But," Kentarou glanced back at the line worriedly before finishing, "we'll have to get back in line again."

With a smile that bordered on superiority, Atobe raised one hand up in the air and snapped his fingers. Immediately, several people lined up in different sections of the queue raised their hands in response and shouted in attention, "Here, Atobe-sama!" With some disappointment, Echizen saw that one of the placeholders was just one party away from the front of the line. Since they were all out of uniform, no one would have even guessed that they were Hyotei students. He now understood why Atobe and his gang received such a warm reception upon their arrival.

"You see," the senior was telling Ryuzaki, "I've never needed to stand in any line."

Ryuzaki bobbed her head appreciatively. "Nice arrangement."

"Kentarou-kun, you may join us if you'd like," the Hyotei captain offered generously with a flourish of his hand.

"Thank you, Atobe-buchou, that's very generous of you!" Kentarou gave a quick bow. "But, that won't be right! I should stand in line instead of taking advantage of your kindness. The resulting reward would be much sweeter if I earned it on my own," he stated emphatically. He then turned to face Echizen. "Isn't that right, Echizen-kun?"

"Whatever," was his response, though in his mind, he was thinking, _What an idiot_.

After a few more minutes of chatting with the other two captains about their training progress, their coach departed to attend a faculty lunch, leaving things in Tezuka's hands. Echizen was glad when the older boy took that opportunity to bow out. "Echizen and I should return as well."

"Eiji-san, Oishi-san, Shishido-senpai and I were planning to get some yakisoba downstairs. Would you like to join us?" Choutarou asked.

"Yakisoba?" Kikumaru's eyes gleamed excitedly at the suggestion. "That sounds great! Let's go, Oishi!"

Instead of responding, Oishi glanced uncertainly at Tezuka. Reading his thoughts, his captain told him, "Go. Don't worry."

"Yatta!" Eiji trumpeted gleefully. "I'm starving!" He tugged on his partner's arm. "Come on, Oishi!"

"Ano, Eiji-san," Choutarou said hesitantly, "Don't you want to change first?"

"Eh?" Eiji furrowed his brows in a puzzled expression. "Why?"

Shishido made a face. "You gonna go like that?"

"Of course! It'll be good advertisement for our tearoom! Oh! Tezuka, do you think I should wear a sign or something?"

Oishi immediately put a stopper on that idea. "Eiji, I don't think that's necessary," Oishi said hastily. "I'm sure most everybody knows about our tearoom since we're not exactly lacking in visitors. Not to mention, I doubt you need a sign to draw attention."

"Oh right, that's true." Kikumaru giggled suddenly, as he thought of something. "Oishi, with the four of us and me dressed like this, isn't it kinda like we're going on a double date?"

His three companions immediately flushed with embarrassment while most of their teammates chuckled at the suggestion. Oishi leaned over Echizen's head to whisper fiercely to him, "E-Eiji! What are you saying?-!"

Eiji crinkled his forehead, not understanding his friend's shocked reaction. "What? I'm just joking! It's not like any of us are dating each other."

Ryoma wondered if anyone else caught the blink-and-you'll-miss-it look that passed between the two Hyotei partners as the blush on their faces deepened. A quick glance over at his Inui-senpai confirmed that he was not the only one: the older boy's eyes were definitely gleaming with keen interest.

"Stop yakking nonsense, Eiji," Shishido was currently saying in a grumpy rumble.

Before the senior had the chance to respond, Fuji unwittingly interrupted by calling out cheerfully, "Yuuta."

They turned and saw that the younger Fuji had returned, with Mizuki by his side. As soon as Mizuki saw Atobe, his eyes widened in bewilderment and he gasped, "Atobe-san! What are you doing here?"

"Hajime. What a pleasant surprise," Atobe returned, his velvety tone giving nothing away.

Surprised at their acquaintance, Yuuta questioned his senpai, "Mizuki-san, you two know each other?"

Before Mizuki had a chance to answer, the other senior explained, "We met at the junior invitational enrichment camp, of course, and maintained occasional correspondence since."

"Yeah. Occasional," Mizuki groused underneath his breath. Echizen cocked an eyebrow in curiosity at that. Though he frankly could not care less about Mizuki and Atobe's personal social life or their underlying relationship, he could not help but be amused at the thought of two of them together. There was probably no other two persons on this planet that were better suited for one another than they were. As far as he was concerned, they were almost mirror images of each other, if it weren't for the fact that Atobe was a bit more refined and dignified, despite his pomposity. No, as much as he hated to admit it, Atobe was probably much more than just a 'bit'. It still didn't dispel the fact that they were a perfect match. Echizen almost chuckled aloud at the entertaining notion.

"What are you doing here, Yuuta?" Fuji presently inquired of his brother.

Frowning mildly, the younger boy complained, "We were wondering what was taking you so long."

"Ah, gomen. As you can see, we bumped into Atobe-san and his teammates but we're ready now. Right, Kojirou?"

Saeki nodded. Just then, Oshitari spoke up by inquiring, "I do not mean to impose, but would it be too forward of me to invite myself to join you?" It was obvious that his question was directed mainly at the tensai.

Gakuto looked at his partner in surprise. "Yuushi, aren't you going in?"

"Perhaps later. Right now, I would much rather stay in the company of Fuji-kun's pleasing presence. I could indulge in his services when we return. That is, if you don't mind, Fuji-kun?"

Echizen rolled his eyes. It was no wonder to him that the other boy was a one of the monkey king's boon companions. He noticed Saeki was also not too fond of the other boy; he was actually eyeing Oshitari with open distrust.

Fuji replied politely, "I don't mind. What about you all?" He glanced at his three companions questioningly. Though the general response was less than enthusiastic, they finally concurred, albeit reluctantly.

"Well then, I'm going as well," Gakuto announced peevishly.

"Are you sure?" his partner asked, "You could stay here with Atobe and the others."

Folding his arms across his chest, his friend sniffed haughtily. "I don't even like tea. I just wanted to see how they would look all dolled up."

Smiling easily, Oshitari lifted one shoulder casually and responded, "Well, if Fuji-kun and his friends don't mind…."

"You're more than welcomed to join us, Mukahi-senpai. The more the merrier, I always say."

"Perhaps you should even invite Kawamura with you," Inui suggested. Though his face was completely devoid of expression, Echizen could somehow tell his senpai was relishing the situation.

"That's a great idea, Inui," the tensai said with a smile.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I think I'd like to join you as well."

Fuji nodded. "You should, Inui. Kaidoh should come along too."

"Tezuka, would you mind all of us going? Would that leave you short?" Inui asked.

"We'll be fine," he intoned.

Kaidoh looked uncomfortable. "I'd rather not go, senpai," he said quietly to Inui. Anyone could guess that his decision was probably due to embarrassment over his appearance.

"Kaidoh, why don't you go change?" This from Tezuka.

His eyes lit up hopefully at that. "Seriously, buchou?"

"You don't need to wear that since you're only working in the kitchen."

"Neh, buchou, can I change as well?" Echizen piped up eagerly.

"Of course not, Ochibi!" Eiji interjected while flinging a heavy arm around his shoulders. "With Fuji and me gone, you're now the sole attraction."

"Then why don't you or Fuji-senpai stay behind?"

"Don't be silly, didn't you just hear? We have lunch dates! You're the only one staying behind. Wait, there's Momo, but you know he's only slightly more popular than Kaidoh. Sorry, Kaidoh."

Echizen scrunched up his face in a scowl before arguing stubbornly, "Then Kaidoh-senpai shouldn't be allowed to change either."

Kaidoh was just about to snap at him but he was interrupted by Tezuka who lightly admonished Ryoma with, "Echizen, stop pushing the issue."

"Not fair," Ryoma muttered petulantly. Then, without another word, he turned away to go back to the tearoom; thankfully, this time, he was able to make it.

Upon entering, he saw that most of the tables were being waited on by either Momoshiro or one of his upperclassman teammates. As soon as Momo saw him, he headed straight for him with a wild wide-eyed look and grasped his shoulders tightly to give him a hard shake as he demanded in a voice cracking with stress, "Where the heck have you guys_ been_? How can you just _leave_ me here all alone?-! Do you know what kind of _hell _I've had to deal with? These people won't stop _bothering_ me! It's not like _I'm_ the only one working here but they keep on calling _my_ name? What's _wrong_ with them?-! It's just freaking tea and cakes, but the amount of trouble I've had to go through, it might as well be a nine-course meal!"

"We were only outside for a few minutes, senpai," Echizen pointed out calmly.

"A few minutes?-! A _few_ minutes?-! That was _more_ than a few minutes! That was an eternity!"

"Are you sure you're not overreacting, Momochan-senpai?"

"Over--?" Clearly affronted, Momo shoved his tray into Echizen's hands. "Fine, then it's _my _turn to disappear for a few minutes," he declared testily.

Taken aback, Ryoma uttered nervously, "What do you mean?"

"I'm gonna step out for a breather."

"You can't do that. Everyone else went to lunch! I'll be the only one left, Momo-senpai!" Echizen cried, his voice tinged with growing anxiety.

The other boy shot him a wry look. "Oh, don't worry, you'll be fine, Echizen! I'm sure you'll have a much better time than I did, consider you're the actual popular one."

"Momo-senpai, um, can't you just hold off on your break? At least until the other senpais return?" It was as close to a plea as he could manage.

"Nope. Gotta go now."

"Come on, Momo-senpai!"

Momo was already on his way out as he waved back at him and threw out over his shoulder, "See ya in a bit, Echizen. Good luck!"

Echizen looked at the now empty doorway helplessly. He could not believe he was really going to be the only one left to deal with all these annoying people.

A moment later, Tezuka returned with Atobe's servants following behind him. He gestured at a newly vacated table and the three of them hurried over to it to get busy.

Echizen went up to the young captain and questioned querulously, "Did you just see Momo-senpai?"

"Yes. He told me he was going to take a break."

"You let him?"

"Yes. Why?"

Echizen expelled a breath forcefully. "Great."

"Is there a problem?"

"Other than the fact that I'm the only one left who's dressed as a girl? No."

"Oh."

When the other boy didn't say anything else beyond that, Echizen frowned up at him and charged, "You're not finding this amusing, are you?"

Tezuka blinked, the usual stoicism of his demeanor only slightly marred by perplexity. "I'm not."

"You'd better not." He paused and looked around. "What're they doing?" He nodded in the direction of Atobe's people.

"They're preparing the table for Atobe," was Tezuka's reply.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No," there was only a hint of exasperation in Tezuka's voice. "I better go; Atobe's waiting outside." They could clearly hear the shrieking of the Hyotei captain's fan girls from the hall. "Your food is in the kitchen, eat when you can."

Echizen was surprised. "There's actually some for me?"

"Yes. I had them get an extra order for you, just in case."

Despite their surroundings, Echizen couldn't help flashing a smile at the other boy in genuine appreciation for his thoughtfulness. Their eyes held on to each other for a beat more than necessary. Tezuka was the first to look away, coughing softly, and Echizen could see that his cheeks were colored. The younger boy couldn't help shaking his head and chuckling at that. With the continued progression of their relationship, these careless moments in public have naturally grown in numbers, and the fact that Tezuka still got flustered each time he realized what they were doing amused Echizen to no end. It was one of the many reasons why he could never stay upset at the other guy for long, which was probably a good thing.

"The monkey king and his court are waiting," Echizen reminded him gently.

Tezuka gave a brief nod in agreement and then left to lead the awaiting royalty in.

O  
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Ten minutes into Hyotei's visit, Echizen was thinking a more appropriate title for the damned monkey king would be 'royal pain in the ass'.

First there was the way Atobe blew into the room, his arrival heralded by his servants who were standing at attention and the many screaming girls behind him in the hall. He then proceeded to pass judgment on the way their room was set up in a condescending fashion, as if he was doing them a favor. What made it more vexing was how even his own teammates were being sucked in by Atobe's dog and pony show, as they were blatantly commenting to each other about how cool the Hyotei captain was. His three freshmen peers were basically staring at the guy with eyes agog and jaws slack. For once that Osakada won his favor by being the only person to scoff at Atobe's antics; whether or not her disdain was the result of a shared dislike of his pompous ways, Echizen was still pleased in knowing that at least one person agreed that Atobe's attention-hoarding personality was a complete turn off.

To add to his ire, since serving them their tea set eight minutes ago, Tezuka had remained at Atobe's table. It seemed the Hyotei senior fully intended to monopolize Tezuka's company during the entire time of his visit. Echizen could see that they had been carrying on a steady stream of conversation, but he could not tell what they could be possibly talking about for so long since Atobe's mildly smirking expression could mean anything and Tezuka had his back to the rest of the room. Although Echizen was glad he didn't have to personally attend to the monkey king, considering the frequency by which his eyes were drawn to that table and the resulting annoyance he felt each time, he might as well have been.

"Hey, where's my napkin?"

And then there was this guy, the Hiposhi (Hiyoshi) person, who for some reason chose to sit at his own table instead of with the rest of his group. He had forgotten the guy was even there when they were outside in the hallway, since he had remained silent the entire time, but as soon as he sat down, he did not shut up, constantly pestering him with complaints in the form of short sentences.

"Tea's too cold."

"Tea's too hot."

"Tea's too bitter."

"No knife."

"Cake's too dry."

"Cake's too sweet."

"Need another napkin."

These were just some of his many petty grievances. Every time Echizen passed by his table, he would complain about something. Although there were other club members working the tables, he only bothered Echizen. By now, Echizen was certain that this had to be retaliation for his victory.

He could not have been more relieved when Momoshiro finally returned from his break, apologizing as he came in.

"I'm sure we weren't in the hallway for _that_ long, Momo-senpai," Echizen stated reproachfully.

Momo rubbed his head vigorously while ducking his head in chagrin. "Eh, I was on the phone with er, someone, so…heh, sorry! I'm back now! You eat yet? Wanna go eat now? I'll cover for you."

Echizen eyed his friend suspiciously. "You look happy about something, Momo-senpai." He smirked in good-humor. "You were talking with Ann-chan, weren't you?"

Despite the tell-tale blush on his face, Momo pursed his lips wryly at the freshman and retorted, "Shut up and go to lunch already, or I'll take back my offer." He started shoving Echizen out the door. "Get with you! I'm only giving you 10 minutes!"

"Fine, fine," Ryoma chuckled softly, "I'm going. Thanks, senpai."

He went to the other room and after grabbing his plate of food, seated himself in the back corner. He did not want to be disturbed by Horio or any of the others but he also wanted to keep an eye on the front door just in case Tezuka was able to get away from Atobe to join him for lunch. He knew the chances of that happened were slim to none, since the senior probably didn't even notice he had left the room, what with his attention occupied by that monkey king.

He was therefore surprised when the other boy did actually show up; he appeared in the doorway and stopped to look around, obviously in search of Echizen. Smiling, the freshman got up just as Tezuka spotted him. Instead of going to get his own plate of food, as he expected, the older boy headed straight for him.

"Echizen." Tezuka's tone was strangely serious.

"What is it?"

"Your family is here."

Ryoma stared at the other boy, his mind not quite comprehending the words at first. "What?"

"They're here. I heard them outside."

"That's impossible," Ryoma shook his head, "They can't be here, I didn't tell them about this." He paused and then repeated, "You sure you heard right?"

Tezuka inclined his head. "Your father's voice is unmistakable. He was asking if this was the right room and I think either your mother or cousin responded, but I couldn't hear what she said exactly."

"All right." Echizen handed his plate to the senior. "I'm leaving," he declared.

Tezuka did not argue. "Are you walking home like that?" was his only concern.

Frowning, Ryoma glanced at the doorway, as if expecting his father to pop up in the doorway any minute, and then answered with a tinge of resentment, "Ryuzaki hid my bag."

"I'll get it, I know where it is."

Echizen cocked an eyebrow at that. "You will?"

"Yes. Wait for me up on the roof."

Although Echizen wondered how the other boy was going to manage getting away undetected from his family, especially his dad, he decided he would have to let Tezuka worry about that on his own. He could not afford to waste any more time on details; he had to get away before his stupid old man figured to barge in here.

He headed to the back door and cracked it open a slither to peer outside carefully. Fortunately, he didn't see his parents at the front of the line; had they been, they could've easily spotted him leaving. Therefore, that could either mean that they were already inside or they were at the back of the line. If his father had been alone, he would have guessed it was the former; Nanjiroh would have found some way to finagle, lie or force his way into the tearoom without bothering to get in line. With his mother or cousin present, then it was most likely the latter, since they would make the old fart get in line properly.

"See you in the same place," he tossed over his shoulder before slipping through the door and shooting down the hall like a streak of lightning in the direction opposite from the tearoom.

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Ryoma took a deep breath and then expelled it slowly. He was lying on the ground with his eyes closed, his hands clasped behind his head, and his body completely relaxed as he soaked in the sunlight. It was the perfect weather for sunbathing, as far as he was concerned: the sun's rays were pleasantly warm, the skies were clear with nary a cloud in sight, the temperature was only slightly cool, and the soft breeze he felt here on the roof was actually quite soothing than chilling. A smorgasbord of sounds drifted up from the festival below: people laughing or shouting, the PA system barking announcements, and snatches of music seeming to originate from two distinct sources, a live band and a radio with the volume cranked up high. Mixed into this were the fainter sounds of Nature: the chirping of birds, the gentle rush of the wind and the rustle of leaves. Had it been any other day, Echizen would have long been lulled into a fitful slumber, and he was actually highly tempted to do so, if it wasn't for the fact that he was distracted by his own thoughts, which were naturally focused on Tezuka who still had not appeared even though Ryoma had been waiting for almost forty minutes.

Certain that his father was the culprit for the young captain's delay, Ryoma wondered idly if the stupid old man intended to keep the other boy from coming up to meet him for the entire duration of the festival. Knowing Nanjiroh, he would probably stick to Tezuka like glue as soon as he realized his son had disappeared. Add to that, the additional task of sneaking his bag out from underneath Ryuzaki's nose, he knew it was a mission that was near impossible to complete, especially given Tezuka's honest personality.

Echizen yawned and shifted back and forth comfortably. He'll give Tezuka another ten minutes and then he'll have to head down. As relaxing as it was, he didn't relish the thought of having to waste the rest of his day up here. If Tezuka couldn't make it, he'll just have to find some other way to change out of here, perhaps make a run to the club locker room where he had an extra jersey stashed. Though he wasn't all too thrilled about having to race three levels down to the ground floor and then all the way to the other side of the building where the tennis courts were, if push came to shove, he'd just have to deal with it. He grimaced. Considering the distance and the attention he would be garnering, that in it of itself was just as near impossible a feat.

Just then, the door to the roof swung open. Echizen instantly sat up and turned to see Tezuka in the doorway, holding his bag.

"You got it." Relieved, he jumped to his feet and hurried over to meet the other boy.

Tezuka handed over his bag and replied, "I told you I would."

Flashing a quick smile at the senior, Ryoma went to the side of the entry way and kneeled down by the wall to unzip his bag. He glanced up at the other boy to ask, "Did you see my dad?"

"Yes. And your mom and cousin."

He stopped, bewildered. "_All_ three of 'em? How'd you get away?"

The young captain came over and sat down next to him with his knees up and his back against the wall. "I told them I was coming to look for you."

"And they just let you go? Even the old man?"

"No," Tezuka admitted, "Nanjiroh-san wanted to come with me at first, but I was able to slip away when the others returned."

Echizen snickered; he could see how the guys from the other schools must have reacted upon meeting the Tennis Samurai in the flesh. "Did he try to pretend he wasn't Nanjiroh Echizen?"

The other boy smiled and nodded. "It wasn't very convincing though."

"Were they trying to challenge him to a match?"

"As I was leaving, Kentarou was asking him. It would be an interesting match, I think, but I doubt your father would agree to it." 

Echizen had once told him about Nanjiroh's general reluctance to play against just anyone since his retirement from the field. That was why he spent most of his time denying his identity when he was in public. His father was actually quite selective about his opponents, even though once he decided on them, he became almost overbearing in his insistence on their participation. He would not be surprised if Nanjiroh turned down all the invitations from the other team members. Out of that group, Echizen guessed that the only person who had a whisper of a chance would probably be Atobe. If the old man knew Tezuka had lost to him, he'd definitely want to play against the monkey king. Ryoma said this to the senior before returning his attention to his clothes.

"Does he know I lost to him?" Tezuka wondered.

Ryoma shrugged. "I don't know. Probably. I never said anything but he always ends up knowing anyway."

Having pulled out the clothes he needed, Echizen stood up and began untying his obi but stopped when Tezuka tugged on the foot of his yukata. He turned to look down quizzically at the older boy. "What?" He saw that a small smile was playing about Tezuka's lips. When the senior gave his robe another tug while moving his knees apart, Ryoma made a scoffing noise and shook his head in disbelief, comprehension finally dawning on him.

"That's why you've been acting strange all morning," he said as he stepped over to stand between Tezuka's legs. He should have figured the reason for the older boy's odd behavior right from the start, especially since he was well-acquainted with every subtle expression on Tezuka's face by now, including, of course, his look of desire. He was the only person who has ever been privy to that look since he was the sole trigger for it. In a way, he had ownership of that look, just as he had ownership of Tezuka's grin and laugh during their private conversations, and his moan and cries during their intimate moments of passion.

"What do you mean?" the senior was saying as he placed his hands against the sides of Echizen's ankles and began kneading them.

Echizen made a sound that resembled a truncated cough and nudged at one of his hands. "Stop that", he admonished lightly, "Tickles."

Instead of responding, Tezuka ran his hands slowly up his legs and in between his inner thighs, stroking them gently. Echizen buckled slightly at the sensation since he was especially sensitive there. As the older boy continued the sensual stroking motions, Ryoma had to steady himself by placing a hand on top of the young captain's head.

Tezuka smiled up at him complacently. "Better?" he teased.

Echizen twisted his lips in a wry expression but then gasped again when Tezuka next bent forward to plant a kiss against his skin in that region. "Are we doing this here?" he asked shakily, closing his eyes as he felt the older boy continue to press feathery kisses there.

"Mmm," was the reply.

Sighing, the freshman pointed out, "Neh, buchou, you do realize we're still at school, right?" Despite his words, he was not at all trying to dissuade the other boy, and even indicated his approval by caressing his hair.

Tezuka was now parting the folds of his yukata, kissing and licking each newly exposed area. "This was your idea," he reminded Ryoma after some time.

"You didn't want to," he retorted breathlessly. He was wearing swimming briefs underneath his robe and he couldn't help shivering in anticipation when he felt the other boy's fingers slipping under the hem.

"Changed my mind." To prove it, Tezuka pulled down his shorts, held him in his grasp, and swallowed him down to the root in one quick motion. If it wasn't for his other hand supporting Echizen's backside, the younger boy would have surely fallen to his knees this time.

Ryoma panted loudly as Tezuka immediately began bobbing his head up and down, picking up speed rather swiftly. So caught up was Echizen in his excitement that he didn't even realize he was clutching hard at the Tezuka's hair until the other boy grabbed on to his wrist to stop him. The freshman muttered an apology but then protested when the senior pulled back completely.

"My glasses," Tezuka explained as he removed the object in question and set it aside. Before continuing, he instructed the freshman to lie down, to which Echizen complied without delay. Tezuka reached for the freshman's jersey that was on the ground nearby and handed it to him, saying as he did so, "Here, for your head."

Once he was satisfied with Ryoma's position, Tezuka bent forward and picked up right where he left off. Echizen closed his eyes, wanting to focus on the immensely pleasurable feeling of the other boy's mouth, lips, tongue, and hand. He felt Tezuka move his hands from beneath his thighs to his backside, propping him up slightly. When Echizen felt the senior's tongue trace a leisurely path from the base of his penis to further back, his eyes flew open in surprise and his breath caught in his throat. Was Tezuka actually planning to do that _here_…? His question was answered in the next instant, when he felt the warmth of Tezuka's tongue come into contact with his opening. Ryoma sucked in a breath sharply and sat up halfway at the shocking sensation. Though this was not the first time Tezuka performed the act, never in his wildest dreams would he imagine that the senior would do that _here_, on the rooftop of their school and in the midst of their annual school festival, where there was more than the normal number of people teeming about, any of whom could easily wander up here by accident at any given moment. At most, he had figured they would just have a speedy love-making session.

Ryoma fell back against the ground with a soft thump and then crossed his arms over his face so that the noises he was starting to make would be muffled. When he felt Tezuka's tongue breech his opening, his body went taut and he uttered a soft keening cry. The feeling of the moving appendage back there was so weird and wonderful and overwhelming at the same time that he was brought to the precarious edge in no time at all. In fact, he was so very close that all it took to push him over was the feel of Tezuka's hand firmly enclosing around his erection and stroking it. By the third stroke, Echizen came with a loud, panting groan, his back arching and his fingers and toes curling in ecstasy.

As he lay there recovering from his intensely blissful release with softly heaving breaths, he could feel Tezuka shifting between his legs and then peppering his thighs with more passionate kisses. Though he could already imagine the marks the older boy was leaving behind, he was not at all worried about it since Tezuka always made sure they were high enough to be hidden by his shorts. Through the fog in his brain, he could faintly hear the senior utter something that resembled an apology. Wondering what the other boy could be saying sorry for, considering he had just sent him to Heaven in the most amazing way possible, Echizen started to croak the words "What do you mean?" when he was interrupted mid-sentence by his own gasp at the sudden feeling of coated fingers entering him.

Tezuka was not taking his time in preparing him but Ryoma could hardly blame him. Even in his daze, he could feel the sense of urgency emanating from the older boy, who not only had to keep his desire in check for the past four to five hours, but also when finally given the opportunity, still delayed the fulfillment of his own needs to attend to his partner. Had he been a more sentimental person, Echizen would have been truly touched by Tezuka's constant sense of selfless consideration, but since he wasn't, he simply chuckled softly at the young captain, amused by that endearingly silly aspect of his personality.

"What's so…funny?" Tezuka panted.

"You are," Ryoma replied, his voice cracking when the other boy penetrated in one swift thrust.

Obviously incapable of further conversation, Tezuka responded by leaning down to kiss him as his lower body began to piston in and out of him in earnest, the ardency in his movements making Echizen rock back and forth. The younger boy wrapped his arms around the senior's neck and his legs around his back to pull him in closer. The passion in their kisses soon mimicked the intensity of Tezuka's thrusts so that their lips and tongues were dueling almost violently. Echizen even tasted blood, but in their fervor, he couldn't even figure out whose it belonged to. His erection had returned in full force and even as he was pushing back against the other boy to meet his thrusts, he tried to rub his front against Tezuka's abdomen for additional stimulation at the same time. Eventually, Tezuka must have realized what Ryoma was trying to do because he reached down and grabbed a hold of him, his hand instantly moving up and down in a pumping action.

All of a sudden, Tezuka changed to a kneeling position, pulling Echizen along with him so that the freshman was seated on his thighs. Ryoma moaned approvingly; he always favored this position since it afforded deeper thrusts and a better angle for kissing, not to mention the fact that it equalized the height discrepancy between the two of them, rendering it a non-issue. He felt Tezuka's free hand slip underneath his open robe to glide all over his naked upper body. He jerked a little when he felt the other boy's fingers pinch his nipple, but then tightened his arms around Tezuka in the next second in encouragement.

Not surprisingly, Tezuka was the first to climax this time, letting loose a strangled cry as he did so. Even as Echizen felt his passageway become filled with the senior's essence, he was surprised to find that Tezuka's movements did not cease and seemed to even pick up speed. In fact, the other boy's erection had not abated at all inside of him. After a very brief intermission, Tezuka started slamming into him again with renewed vigor while attacking the freshman's lips at the same time. Echizen could only hold on tight for the ride; he felt Tezuka's fingernails digging into his hips as the older boy lifted and lowered him in rapid motions.

When they finally reached their peak once again, this time, they came within less than a minute of each other. They clung to each other fervently as their senses were completely awash in rapturous, mind-numbing pleasure that rendered them boneless. They collapsed to the ground, Echizen on top of Tezuka, with their bodies joined and their arms entwined and their lips sealed together in what was partially an open-mouthed kiss and an heated exchange of panting breaths.

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Fifteen minutes later they were still in that position, even though they had already sufficiently recovered their strength. Echizen was to blame: after being so wonderfully exerted, he was just too lazy to budge. If they had been in Tezuka's bedroom and on his bed, he would have normally fallen asleep by now. Though there was really nothing stopping him from doing so here, he found that his mind was actually more energized now than it was before they had sex, despite the exhaustion in his body that usually resulted from being utterly satiated. He could hear that the festival was still going on strong below them, so he idly wondered how much time has passed and if his family had left yet. He lifted his wrist with some difficulty and glanced at his watch before letting it drop with a thump back onto Tezuka's chest.

"Do you think your family is still here?" the senior questioned, correctly guessing his purpose for checking the time.

"Probably," he replied. Now that he had his regular clothes to change into, he was no longer concerned about their presence.

"What time is it?"

"Ten minutes to two."

Tezuka sighed in regret. "We should go back. Or at least, I should."

"Do we have to?"

He felt Tezuka's hand caress his hair. "I have to."

Ryoma waited another minute before reluctantly moving off of him by flopping onto his back, issuing another disapproving groan as he did so. When the older boy sat up, he snorted in laughter at the sight of Tezuka's face.

"What?" the young captain asked.

"Your face is a mess," he informed him while chortling in delight. In their ardor, some of Echizen's make-up had transferred over to Tezuka's countenance; namely, his lipstick was smeared all around the senior's lips and cheek. Ryoma hadn't even noticed it until now.

Tezuka told him in return, "So is yours."

"But you're not the one who started out with that crap on your face," he countered. He tugged on the collar of Tezuka's robe to pull him closer and raised his arm to wipe off the stuff with his sleeve. The other boy immediately stopped him by grabbing his hand gently. "You're going to get Fuji's yukata dirty," Tezuka pointed out.

Echizen sat up, wincing slightly at the soreness on his butt, and supported himself with one hand on the floor. He glanced down at his robe and announced, "Too late." Twisting his lips in distaste, he swiped a finger to wipe off a tiny glob on the garment. He then looked over at the other boy and pointed. "Yours is dirty too."

Tezuka pulled at the front of his yukata to look at the spot where Echizen was indicating. Sure enough, his robe was soiled as well. "I don't have my clothes with me," he intoned, his brows crinkling slightly in worry.

"Here, just use this to wipe off that stuff first then we could go downstairs to wash off the stain with water. I'm sure it'll dry pretty fast."

"What are you going to tell Fuji when he asks for his yukata back at the end of the day?"

"Nothing," Echizen responded as he stood up to disrobe. "I'll just tell him I'll give it to him tomorrow." He stopped when he realized he would be completely naked since Tezuka had removed his briefs earlier. When he located them, he pulled them on first before undoing his obi and taking off his yukata. He wiped his own face with the robe before handing it over to Tezuka, who had also stood up,

and then turned away to put on his own clothes.

"How do we know if make-up and…_that_…even washes off?" the senior questioned as he stared down at the item in his hands.

Echizen shrugged as he pulled on his shirt. "Why wouldn't it?"

"I don't know."

"I guess we'll find out."

After a short silence, Tezuka said quietly, "Ryoma, I don't think you have to return this to Fuji."

"What?" Echizen saw that Tezuka was looking at something on the interior side of the yukata. "What're you looking at?"

Instead of responding, Tezuka showed him. There, close to the top lining of the yukata where the collar region was located, was a small patch of white fabric with the following kanji words neatly stitched on with a fine gold thread: To Tezuka, Please keep for your enjoyment. –Fuji.

They looked at the little patch wordlessly and then at each other and then back down at it again. Finally, Echizen asked, "What does he mean?"

Tezuka only shook his head and muttered, "Fuji."

"Hmmph." Echizen folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes at the other boy. "What'd you say to him?"

Tezuka returned his suspicious look blankly. "Nothing."

Though Ryoma wasn't really doubting the other boy's honesty, he was still certain that there was something fishy going on and that Fuji was most definitely involved. A light went off in his head. Of course, Fuji was the one who made the slips of paper with their names for Ryuzaki to draw! All this time he had suspected Ryuzaki of foul play, when it might have been his Fuji-senpai instead. He also recalled that Fuji had helped him put on his yukata. No wonder. The older boy probably did that to ensure that he wouldn't catch a glimpse of that stitched note prematurely. But then, how did his senpai guess that Tezuka would react exactly the way he did? And where did his Kaidoh-senpai fit in to all of this? If he was picked for Tezuka's sake, what about Kaidoh? Who in their right mind would want to see his senpai as a girl? Or perhaps he was simply an unfortunate victim of Fuji's strange sense of humor?

Echizen frowned. He couldn't wait to have a little chat with his senpai. Though the end result was rather gratifying, he wasn't too thrilled by the fact that he had to go through hours of annoyance and aggravation just to get to this point, especially when he was the only person who suffered while Tezuka got the best end of the deal throughout. He wondered what Fuji got out of all of this other than a good laugh. It's not as if he or Tezuka would run back to him with details of their little adventure.

He glared at Tezuka. "Are you going to thank him?" he demanded.

Taken aback, the other boy replied right away, "Of course not." He paused, thinking about it. "Although, I probably should," he amended after a while. The mean look Echizen shot him only made him smile.

"Hey, you better not be saying that you actually prefer me as a girl," Ryoma stated testily while jabbing a finger in Tezuka's chest.

"No. Never. It's just that…." He hesitated.

"Yes?" Echizen urged.

Tezuka ducked his head in chagrin and said quietly, "You looked…really…cute." Upon seeing the irritated expression on the freshman's face, he quickly explained, "No, it's not what you think. You looked cute not because you were dressed as a girl. I mean, I was curious, but that was it. I responded the way I did because…because you looked so _upset_ dressed as a girl." He paused again before finishing with, "I like it when you…sulk."

Echizen stared at him in disbelief. Though a sharp retort was on the tip of his tongue, after a moment, he finally settled for, "You are just as weird as Fuji-senpai."

Tezuka flashed a relieved smile at him, knowing forgiveness was granted. "So if you'd like," he went on to say, "We could get rid of Fuji's…gift. I won't expect you to ever wear this again."

"I'm not going to," Echizen told him firmly.

"Yes. We'll throw it away downstairs."

A small stretch of silence ensued during which the two boys simply continued to stare at the offending garment in question. At the end of it, Ryoma expelled a huff of air forcefully before grabbing the cursed yukata and stuffing it in his bag. When Tezuka opened his mouth to say something, the freshman interrupted him by saying snappishly, "Be quiet. I'm not promising anything."

Tezuka chuckled and nodded. "I would never dream of asking."

"You'd better not. And next time, _you_ be the damned girl."

"I don't mind," came the young captain's sincere response as he followed Echizen out the door.

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Next up: Chapter 15 (the real one)…soon…heh….


	17. Focus: Absence Makes

**Author's Notes**: Gomen gomen gomen gomen! I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! I am a horrible, shameful human being! Gomen nasai!

Thank you once again to the dear Zen Nat for not only shouldering beta-reading duties for me (any remaining mistakes are my own) but for taking it one step further: without her occasional e-mails to check my progress and provide support, who knows how much longer I would've taken to finish this chapter. Also thank you to those who e-mailed me personally or provided feedback: I am sorry if I wasn't able to get back to you directly but I do appreciate your words!

Lastly, a warning: I've taken liberties with Ryoga's background…hope it doesn't blow anybody's blood vessels. Oo

**Timeline**: Right after Chapter 14: Farewell, Tezuka Kunimitsu

**Rating: **R

**Focus**: **Absence Makes**

It wasn't until Tezuka made his departure for Germany did Echizen come to the realization that other than the members of his own immediate family, he had never experienced missing anyone before.

Even when he left the US for Japan, there were no feelings of nostalgia for the schoolmates left behind nor did he ever develop them. Not that he didn't make at least a few casual acquaintances during all his years in the States, some of which whom even sincerely tried to maintain a stream of correspondence at first, but when all their attempts were quickly proven futile for he rarely responded to their e-mails, they gave up. Phone calls to keep in touch were out of the question, not just due to financial reasons, but rather, he simply never developed close enough bonds with any of them to warrant that degree of effort and expense. It was just as well since even if they had called him, Echizen doubted he'd have spoken to them. From his point of view, face-to-face conversations had already been trying enough as it was—boredom tend to set in two minutes into their exchanges—voluntary exchanges over the phone when he was literally on the other side of the world with no foreseeable plans of returning or ever seeing these people again was completely out of the question. Many times, the only reason he even talked to them in person was because no means of escape were available with them right in front of him.

Since past friendships that were worth longing for were nonexistent, he found himself puzzling over how it should feel to truly miss someone who wasn't related to him by blood, but whom he favored even more than most of the people in his family. After all, if ever given the choice of whether to spend an evening with Tezuka or an hour with his dad, he had no doubt what his decision would be.

While to say the words "I miss Tezuka", vocally and mentally, was easy enough, he wondered what that sentiment really should entail. Of course he could easily look up the words "to miss" in a dictionary and get the literal explanation, but even in that, there was an inherent vagueness in the definition since what did it really mean to "feel the lack of"? How were these feelings of lacking to manifest themselves? Would they be affecting every aspect of his life? In other words, how would his days change now that he was lacking something? The fact that his life would be lacking in any way was a bit amazing: to think, Tezuka had penetrated into his life so easily and thoroughly that he now had to consider the aftermath of his temporary vacancy in it.

Faced with these perplexing contemplations, he tried at first to dismiss the mild dilemma with the conclusion that he would naturally miss the senior in the same way in which he had missed his brother when Ryoga left home. Up until now, no other experience in his life resembled it. While his parents had to leave him behind on some of the professional trips they've gone on in the past, usually related to Nanjiroh's tennis career, the separation most often lasted only a few days. Not to mention, any sadness he might have felt for being apart from his mother tend to be counterbalanced by relief that his father was finally out of his hair. Even at a young age Echizen found his old man incorrigible. Because his brother was gone for much more than a day or two, the emotional impact left by the event was much heavier. In thinking about it now, he couldn't help but wince at the sorry state he'd been in. Never mind that he was still a naïve kid at the time; that was weak excuse. At least he could say without a doubt that there would be absolutely blubbering emotional outburst involved with Tezuka's leaving as there was with his good-for-nothing brother.

He blamed it on circumstance: he had no warning whatsoever when Ryoga left. One day, his brother simply said good-bye to him as nonchalantly as if he were only heading off to school. When his brother didn't return by dinnertime, Ryoma's parents finally told him that Ryoga had in fact left home on a trip and would probably not be coming back for some time. At the time, he was still too young for his parents to delve into the full details of that journey: his brother had actually gone back to live with his biological mother, a woman whom Nanjiroh had dated briefly right before meeting Rinko. Their short courtship produced Ryoga, whose existence was kept from Nanjiroh until after Ryoma was born. Ryoga's mother had intended to keep the secret, not wanting to disrupt his family life, but a few years later, she was forced to send her boy to live with the Echizens due to the serious issues that arose in her life, involving her live-in boyfriend and finances. Hoping to provide Ryoga a more stable family environment, she had no choice but to send him to Nanjiroh, even if it meant her young son was essentially going off to live with a father he had never met and his family. Because they had kept in touch the entire time, as soon as she resolved her problems, Ryoga made the decision to return to her so that she wouldn't be all alone.

Though Nanjiroh and Rinko had been kept abreast of the entire situation throughout its progression, they decided to keep Echizen in the dark since they assumed he was too young to understand. Their decision to not even warn him of the possibility that one day his newly acquired brother might not be around anymore was based on misguided good intentions on their part, to be sure, though it is doubtful that had they done the alternative and told him everything, would Ryoma's reaction be any less dramatic. Once the initial shock passed, Ryoma had actually broken down and bawled his eyes out like the stupid little kid he was. Worse yet, his weepiness lasted days afterwards. He was almost inconsolable, a fact that he still could not live down. Or, to be more accurate, a fact that both Nanjiroh and Ryoga had never allowed him to forget. His childish tears had eventually dried, to be replaced by aching confusion at how his aniki could just pick up and leave like that without even thinking of the effect it would have on him. It didn't take long for his juvenile mind to transform that confusion in to stubborn anger, so that even when Ryoga tried to maintain the brotherly bond through letters and phone calls, Echizen rejected them all. As time wore on, the anger came to pass while the memories of Ryoga also began to haze. His early interest in tennis probably helped that along since his mind soon became filled with his pursuit of excellence in tennis only. When they finally met up again in person, Ryoma barely remembered Ryoga at all. It didn't take long for that old resentment to rear up, however, thanks to his brother's natural personality. Echizen hated the presumptuousness of that guy who assumed that he could just pop up on the scene one day as if nothing had happened and force his way back into his life. It was the type of stunt he would expect the old man to pull. Ultimately, that was perhaps the biggest issue he had with his brother: that Ryoga thoroughly resembled his father, to a T, both in looks and actions. That alone was enough to provide continuous fuel to his ire.

On second thought, maybe he shouldn't compare his brother too much with Tezuka, even in such a periphery way. First off, the feelings he had for Tezuka was at least ten times more amicable than what he currently felt for his brother, the past notwithstanding. While he still wished that the senior didn't have to go to such a far-away place, being able to give Tezuka a proper send-off the night before did provide him with a sense of satisfaction. In addition, not only was he able to say a heart-felt good-bye the night before, as luck would have it, he was given the opportunity to do so again at the airport the next morning.

By chance, just as they were about to leave to head back to school, his Fuji-senpai discovered that he had forgotten to give the captain pictures he had developed of their team-building expedition to the mountains to watch the sunrise. He automatically handed the pictures to Ryoma, smilingly assigning him the task of hurrying back to Tezuka's boarding gate. Without thinking, Echizen's first reaction was to resist. In his denseness, he even questioned petulantly why he had to go, when any of his other senpais could have easily fulfilled the task. It took Momoshiro's hearty slap on his back and a gruff demand to shut up and go, to snap him out of his momentary stupidity. Only when he reached his destination did he fully appreciate the two upperclassmen's well-intentioned efforts. He was glad to have one final moment alone with Tezuka before he boarded the plane.

Going up to him, he handed over the pictures, explaining, "Fuji-senpai forgot to give you these."

Tezuka nodded and then answered, "Thank you."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Echizen shrugged and replied, "Welcome." Not having anything else to say since they already bid their farewells last night, he simply shrugged again and nodded. "I'll be going then."

Right as he was about to turn away to leave, Tezuka spoke his name and next he was pleasantly surprised when the older boy stepped forward to wrap his arms around him in a firm embrace. The hug lasted barely a second—even in his impulsiveness the young captain was still aware that they were in public—but it was more than enough. Breaking apart wordlessly, Echizen stood there and watched as the other boy gave him a final wave and boarded the plane. The warmness Ryoma felt manifested itself in a wide, happy smile that remained even when he got back to the rest of the group, triggering a good deal of quiet teasing and stifled laughter from his senpais. The only reason they exercised any degree of discrepancy was due to Ryuzaki's presence.

As if to make up for all the immature ribbing he had to tolerate with during the entire ride back to school, just as they were splitting up to head to class, Fuji stopped him and offered a packet similar to the one he had just given to Tezuka. "Here's your copy, Echizen."

Mumbling a thank you, Ryoma slipped it into his bag and didn't think about it until his English class which was right before lunch. Out of boredom, he decided to pull the pictures out and rifle through them. As his eyes fell upon the first picture, his lips twitched in amusement. It was an image of himself, scowling in protest at the camera, while Tezuka stood beside him, his face in profile and his head tilted slightly downward to look at him. This was the only picture he had ever taken with the older boy. To think, it almost didn't happen at all because he had fought against it, blatantly refusing the request since he did not want to give his teammates more fodder for their jokes. He had been unwilling to budge no matter how much the others tried to cajole him into it, and in the end, the only reason why he gave in at all was because of Tezuka, who, to everyone else's surprise including Echizen's, stepped forward to request the picture. Once that happened, Ryoma had no choice but to oblige, even though he made sure to show them exactly how he felt about the whole matter as they took the snapshot. In retrospect, Echizen now understood why the other boy had wanted to take a photo together. That was the night right before he made his announcement about leaving for Germany.

As Echizen continued to stare at the picture, something inside of him stirred, as if he had butterflies in his stomach. Even though the picture was not taken at a close-up, the softness in his eyes and the slight upward tilt to the corner of his mouth as he glanced down at Ryoma was still quite obvious. To an outsider, Tezuka's expression can only be described as one of fondness and affection. The thought made the butterflies inside of him flutter even more aggressively. Reluctant to indulge further in such sentimentality, he tried to focus on the general agreeability of that look without delving too much into the sentiments that motivated it. He had a good idea why Tezuka looked at him that way, he'd caught him doing so often when they were alone. Knowing that it'd be a while before he could catch that look in person, he didn't want to dwell too much on how nice it was, for then he might wander into thinking about how they made him feel.

He had to hand it to his Fuji-senpai though: as far as he knew, Tezuka had always been pretty consistent in his ability to maintain his stoic visage. That the tensai was even able to capture it can only be attributed to a stroke of rare fortune. He could understand why the young captain reserved that expression for their privacy only; there was a certain vulnerability to that look, as if for that one split second, Tezuka's inner feelings were clearly on display for all to see. He suddenly wished that Fuji hadn't taken the picture. He was all of a sudden overcome with a sense of possessiveness. He didn't want the others to see this side of Tezuka, which only he was privy to.

His qualms were alleviated in the next instant, when, in flipping the picture over, he discovered that the tensai had written on the back, "Don't worry. Only you and Tezuka have this one." He smiled and made a mental note to thank his senpai later.

Propping his elbow on the desk and resting his head in the palm of his hand, Echizen started to think about Tezuka, wondering idly what the older boy's reaction would be when he saw the photo. Would he stare at it with that subtle smile of his, which brought out that shiny quality in his eyes? In picturing the older boy's face, Echizen could almost imagine his countenance clearly. The look would probably be little different to the one in the photograph. Seeing how this was their first picture together, he also wouldn't be surprised if Tezuka were to fall prey to his occasional bouts of sappiness and actually frame it and put it by his bed in his new, temporary bedroom. Worse yet, the guy might even find a way to stick it in his wallet. Ryoma barely managed to choke down the guffaw that threatened to escape him at the idea; he had to masquerade the weird noise that came out of him with a fake cough. Grinning lopsidedly, he visualized the senior sitting at his desk at night, carefully trimming the image so that it would fit into the photo pockets of his billfold. As highly undignified as that scenario was, he really wouldn't put it past Tezuka to do something like that. What added an extra degree of mirth to the notion was picturing the insulted look Tezuka would have given him if he were to suggest that scenario to his face. This paradoxical side of the senior's personality, which was in complete contrast to the usually stuffy personality he exhibited, never ceased to delight Ryoma.

Despite his teasing, Echizen had to admit that was another thing he liked about Tezuka. Who would have thought that there was a sensitive side to the mighty Captain Tezuka? Sure, he was a considerate person and an upright role model, but only Ryoma knew that there was also the Tezuka who would offer a piece of feather from the lure Ryoma had used on their first fishing expedition as a memento of their trip. The senior had given the keepsake to him without any fanfare, simply placing the feather in Echizen's hand and saying, "Here", he said expressionlessly as if he had just handed Echizen his water bottle. Further questioning only produced a curt, "Just keep it," by the older boy. Even without his explanation, the meaning behind the small gesture was still hard to miss, and though Echizen had cracked wise about it to detract from the syrupy quality of the moment, he still kept the feather. It was currently pressed within the pages of his personal photo album that consisted wholly of his favorite Karupin pictures.

Then there was also the incident with the inconsequential sketch he had drawn, which was nothing more than a doodle. During one of his many visits to the older boy's house, he was sitting around, waiting for Tezuka to finish his homework. To amuse himself, Echizen started to scribbling a picture on the corner Tezuka's assignment book just to annoy him. The senior always ended up having to erase whatever it was he drew since he didn't want his teacher to see it. However, instead of reacting in the usual manner, when the other boy saw what he had drawn, he had actually torn the entire page out and placed it on his desk. Startled, Ryoma had asked him why he did that, to which Tezuka's simple response was, "I want to keep it." The drawing was a goofy looking caricature of their two faces, chibified to the point where they resembled hamsters more than humans, and while comical, was hardly a work of art worth keeping. Nevertheless, the next day, when he returned to the senior's room, he saw that Tezuka had cut out that corner of the page where his sketch was and taped it to the edge of his monitor on his desk. It was such an odd and silly thing to do, yet Ryoma was inexplicably pleased by it. He never brought it up to Tezuka again, but ever since then, every time he was in the young captain's bedroom, his eyes would unconsciously seek out that little sketch to see if it was still there.

He continued to reminisce about Tezuka's infrequent acts of quaintness when his reverie was interrupted by the bell, signaling the end of class and the beginning of lunch. He quickly slipped the pictures in his bag, not wanting Horio and the others to see them. He knew they would head his way eventually, since they probably wanted to ask him about how things went his morning. They had already tried once this morning when he returned from the airport but their attempts were thwarted by the start of school. Loath to deal with them just yet, he got up and hurriedly made his way out of the classroom. At the sound of Horio's voice screeching out to him from behind, he only turned to call out over his shoulder, "Busy!" He knew he would probably not be able to avoid them come practice time, but hopefully then the other Regulars would be able to provide some distraction since they'd be present as well. While he understood their curiosity since they obviously held Tezuka in high regard and were sincerely saddened that he had to leave, he simply did not feel like satisfying their inquiries. Really, what was there to say? Yes, we went to the airport and said good-bye to him. It was pointless having a conversation about something that could be easily summed up in one simple sentence.

When he reached the rooftop, he inhaled deeply to take in the fresh air and then stretched. Nodding in satisfaction that he was the only one present, he went over to his usual spot by the door and sat down with his back against the wall. He pulled out his lunchbox and began eating, the distant sounds of nature, the school and the city accompanying him. In the middle of his solitary meal, when a plane flew overhead, he paused and looked up, Tezuka occupying his mind once again.

_I wonder how long he'll be gone_. The words brought with them the realization that he would probably be eating up here alone for quite a number of weeks from here on forth. The alternative was of course to stay downstairs with the others. In the suddenly overbearing quietude of the rooftop, the idea didn't seem as unappealing to him as it normally would, which was weird. Not that he hadn't been up here alone before: many times, in fact. Long before this became the lunchtime meeting place for the two of them, he used to always come up here to take naps during lunch, liking the peace and quiet atmosphere. But somehow, because it started to function as one of their primary rendezvous locations, the roof seemed _too_ peaceful and quiet now. It felt extremely empty. It didn't make sense at all, considering he had just been up here alone quite recently, just two weeks ago, during the time when he and Tezuka had their minor tiff. Why did that period of time feel so differently from the way it felt now?

_Is this because I miss him already?_ he asked himself. Again, he had only the experience with his brother to reference, and he had already established it wasn't the same. At least he was certain he was not about to dissolve into tears any time soon, or ever, for that matter. His emotional state was not that weak, nor would he ever let it get that weak in the foreseeable future. The only exception he could think of was if Tezuka were to die in a plane crash or even in an accident while he was in Germany. In that case, he would probably be able to overcome his concern with dignity and allow himself to weep a little for such a loss. Even though the last time he truly cried was probably when Ryoga left, he doubted if Tezuka were to drop dead tomorrow, he would be able to stop himself.

He shivered, realizing it was probably the first time he ever even thought about Tezuka's mortality. It was a fine time to delve into such a morbid topic too, considering the guy was still in his plane with absolutely nothing underneath him but the thin air. Not to mention, he wasn't sure he was ready to explore the level of grief he would experience if something like that would occur. He wondered if Tezuka ever thought about him dying. How would he mourn him? He couldn't even imagine the older boy crying and doubted he would ever want to see that. But if he were to leave this earth prematurely, he did hope that Tezuka would feel some sorrow. Wasn't it only appropriate? He'd like to think he had at least made a strong enough impact to conjure up some genuine feelings of sorrow. He wanted Tezuka to miss him as much as he would miss the senior if he were to die. His mind suddenly jumped back to plane crashes and he wondered if Tezuka had any fear of flying. He hadn't thought of asking him before he left. Actually, there was probably a lot more he could find out about Tezuka, so he hoped the senior would not die any time soon, otherwise, in addition to being deeply saddened, he would never be able to get the answers to any possible questions he may have. Although they had shared quite a lot already, more than either of them ever shared with anyone else, he was certain there was still more they could learn about each other and he'd hate for that opportunity to be forever eliminated.

He shivered again and frowned. The gloominess of his thoughts was unsettling him. He took another deep breath and expelled it in a hard puff to clear his mind. Why was he even wasting his time and energy thinking about these types of disturbing scenarios? It was needlessly depressing, and even slightly melodramatic, and actually reminded him of his dad, who was prone to exaggerated musings of doom and gloom, especially when his mom was giving him the silent treatment after a spat or when she would come home late without telling them. He decided early on his mother must be some kind of angel to put up with such an immature person for a husband.

Even thinking about his parents didn't dispel the sudden melancholy that took hold of him. In fact, he became aware of an imaginary weight that was pressing down upon him, in the general area of his chest. The sensation was not dissimilar to the time he developed a severe case of indigestion; he had felt as uncomfortable and restless as he did now. If this feeling was related to Tezuka's absence, how much worse would this pressure get, considering the senior had left but hours ago and this first day was far from over? All this was also indicative of a weak mental reconstitution. It was too ridiculous.

Disgusted with himself, he closed the lid on the remains of his lunch and stuffed the container back into his bag, his appetite gone. With still half an hour left to his lunch time and still unwilling to mingle with the peers that were awaiting him downstairs, he decided to head over to the library. Perhaps the emptiness of the rooftop was to blame, for making his mind head down paths he'd rather not take. At this time, since the library would be somewhat populated, maybe the distracting presence of others would help clear his mind of these dreary ideas. He would just find a corner to sink into and listen to his music, or maybe even take a quick nap. Anything that would allow his brain to rest from its circular musings about how he was going to miss Tezuka.

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Unfortunately, the library provided little solace.

Instead, the visit only resulted in transforming his moodiness into full-fledged annoyance. While a couple of weeks had already passed since the Hyotei game, he was dismayed to find that his notoriety still had not waned. While there, he was constantly approached by non-club members who wanted to engage him in conversations about the sport, himself and even Tezuka. Apparently, many people knew about their captain leaving for Germany to recuperate his injuries. Echizen found it baffling that these people would even care; they had nothing to do with the tennis club, and since most of them had never even watched Tezuka play, why would they feel the necessity to inquire after a virtual stranger? Did they have too much time on their hands? And when they weren't accosting him to chat, they were pointing him out to each other or whispering about him in a blatant fashion that was so disconcerting he couldn't help but notice.

The girls were the worst. It amazed him at times to think that these were the types of people his father raved on and on about, day and night. As far as he could tell, there was nothing "cute" about them. While he found some of them less irritating than the others, for the most part, they were all about the same. For some unfathomable reason, his cold attitude towards them only earned him the reputation of being cool, thereby increasing his popularity even more. Unbeknownst to him, even Sakuno and Tomo were finding the sudden multiplication of Ryoma-sama fans to be rather overwhelming, especially since some of the girls were upperclassmen and downright bullies when it came to vying for the tennis prodigy's attention. Had he been a more socially considerate person when it came to these matters, like his Fuji and Oishi-senpai were, he would probably have noticed the hostility some of his female fans were expressing toward others. The chevalier thing to do would have been to help the weaker party by showing them a little more favoritism. Since he wasn't that type of person, he simply lumped all of them into one category and treated them with equal scorn. At least he was fair.

Eventually giving up hope of acquiring peace in the library, he at last decided that tennis was the best diversion and beat a quick escape to the courts. Having lost track of time while being hounded by his admirers, he didn't realize that by the time he reached the clubroom it was already close to the end of the lunch period. As a result, just as he finished changing into his tennis clothes, the bell rang. With no time left to get back into his school uniform, he had no choice but to hurry back to class dressed as he was. While the teachers went easy on him and his peers were too intimidated by his dark look to even make fun of him, he was still the center of attention once again, which only served to sour his disposition even more. When the thought crossed his mind that Tezuka won't even be around for him to gripe to or at least provide a worthwhile distraction from his foul mood, he practically glowered.

By the time practice rolled around, he was anxiously looking forward to just going home and playing with Karupin. Unluckily for him, Momo and Eiji were completely oblivious to the gloomy aura that was pouring off of him, and as soon as practice ended, they forced him to join them to McDonald's, their motives all were in the name of good intentions. As Eiji jovially announced, this would be their new after-practice routine until Tezuka's return. When Ryoma tried to protest, the other boy interrupted him by promising they would keep him company so he won't feel so lonely. Echizen was fairly balked at the suggestion, not just because he wasn't exactly looking forward to the many adventures proposed, but mainly because the clueless senior had made that announcement in front of _everyone_, Regulars and non-Regulars alike.

Katsuo was the first to point out the oddity of the senior's words. "Ano, Kikumaru-senpai, why would Ryoma-kun be lonely?"

"Eh?" Eiji's eyes flew wide as he realized his mistake. "W-what?" he uttered nervously, "What'd I say? I didn't say that!"

Ever ready to provide support, his partner immediately jumped in with, "Right, he didn't say anything about being lonely. I mean, he did, but that's not what he meant. Er, he only…he only meant…er…we're all lonely without Tezuka!" The two of them exchanged panicky looks, believing that Oishi had just made it worse.

Momo helpfully supplied, "Because we'll all miss Tezuka."

Kikumaru nodded his head eagerly. "Yes, yes, exactly! That's what I meant!"

"Eh? That's not what you said, senpai," Horio countered skeptically.

With a start, Eiji grew flustered again and looked helplessly at Oishi. "He…" Oishi began but then suddenly blanked out. Beside them, Echizen rolled his eyes in exasperation. Their idiotic behavior was making his head hurt.

"Hey! First year!" The three freshmen jumped when Kaidoh barked at Horio. "Who're you to question the senpai? If you wanna go eat, just shut your mouth and follow behind!"

Instantly cowed, Horio gulped in fear and inclined his head stiffly in compliance. The other two wisely remained quiet. And if anyone else noticed the exchange, they chose not to mention it. Instead, the non-Regulars who wanted to go along simply yelled out their participation, glad that they were even included, so that in the end, they headed out as a group of twenty. Ryoma wearily asked Kikumaru, "Kikumaru-senpai, we really doing this every day after practice?"

With a glowing smile, the other boy responded, "Of course, of course!" He then lowered his head and whispered, "I promised Tezuka, you know."

Bewildered, Ryoma asked, "Promised what?"

"That we would take care of you while he's gone. What kind of man would I be if I broke my promise just on the first day?-!"

"I don't need to be taken care of, senpai."

"Yes you do, even Tezuka agreed."

"What?"

Patting him on the head, the senior said consolingly, "So don't worry, if you want to cry, just cry. I understand."

"I don't want to cry," he said with his teeth clenched.

"Aw, poor Ochibi!" Ryoma's eyes practically bulged out of his head in alarm when the other boy grabbed him in a tight bear hug. "It's no problem-u!" Eiji assured him happily in English and then added in Japanese, "You're our precious Ochibi-chan! It'll all be okay! Come on, come on, they're leaving without us!"

Pursing his lips in barely concealed rage, the last thought that ran through his mind as he was unwillingly dragged off to join the others was, _I'm gonna kill Tezuka_.

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He wasn't allowed to escape until a whole hour later. Momoshiro offered to accompany him since he was going the same direction. Despite the fact that the second year was speaking the truth, Echizen couldn't help but feel a bit perturbed that he was essentially being chaperoned home like a girl.

They kept in pace for a while in silence, until Momo finally spoke up by making the observation, "You're in a bad mood today."

"I'm fine," Ryoma shot back a bit too snappishly.

Grimacing at the sharpness in his tone, Momo fell quiet again. Only when they got to the intersection where they had to part ways did the older boy try again, his words hesitant with awkwardness, "Just take it easy. You seem a bit…tense. The captain'll be back in no time, you know? It'll be okay."

"Geez!" he expelled the word in a forceful breath and shook his head. Did they think he was some kind of lovesick puppy? It was downright insulting.

Momo raised his palms in a calming gesture. "Okay, okay. I'll stop talking. See you tomorrow, right?"

Echizen was relieved when he finally arrived home. Finally, a place of sanctuary. The sense of relief was short-lived, however, for as soon as he went inside, he spotted his father lounging on the porch. His irritation returned in full-force.

He tried ignoring the man, but to no avail. As soon as he closed the gate behind him, Nanjiroh came bounding forward with a cocky grin affixed to his face. "Kid-captain's off to Deutschland, eh, seishounen? Are you sad without your playmate? If you need a shoulder to cry on, papa's here."

Echizen made a sound of disgust and then shouldering his way past. Refusing to give up so easily, his dad continued in step beside him. "How're you gonna cope, seishounen? He'll probably be gone for months. What're you gonna do in the meantime? Maybe you can find another playmate. You know, girls your age can also be pretty cute."

Stopping suddenly, Ryoma turned to face his father, his brows furrowing in suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ha? What do I mean by what?" Retracing his words, Nanjiroh started slightly when he realized his slip-up. He drew back a little, his eyes wide with forced innocence. "Nothing, nothing. Only that, you know, young girls are cute."

Not at all convinced, Ryoma continued to pin his gaze on his father. He was certain that was not what Nanjiroh had meant. He lost his chance at interrogating him further when his mother's voice interrupted them from the doorway, "Nanjiroh, what kind of nonsense are you saying to Ryoma now?"

Glad for her sudden appearance, the elder Echizen quickly explained to his wife, "Nothing, Rin-chan! We were just talking about cute girls like you, that's all."

She flashed her husband a reproachful look before turning to her son and informing him, "Ryoma, telephone."

"Who is it?"

"Tezuka-kun."

Blinking in surprise, Echizen hurried wordlessly past his parents. He hadn't expected Tezuka to call so soon, and the senior never indicated that he would either. From behind, he heard his father calling out to him to wait but then his mother stopped him by warning, "Old man, do you value your magazine collection or not?" Though Ryoma didn't understand what she meant by that, it was obviously effective since his father didn't follow him.

As soon as he picked up the phone, Ryoma blurted out thoughtlessly, "Why're you calling?"

Most likely disconcerted by the terse greeting, there was a brief silence before Tezuka answered, "I'm here."

Instantly regretting his bluntness, Echizen softened his tone before saying, "Good. Where're you at? It's noisy." He detected a flurry of activity in the background.

"I'm still at the airport. The person I'm supposed to meet from the clinic hasn't arrived yet."

"The airport? You're calling me from the airport?"

"Yes. Is something the matter with that?"

"No." The freshman sat down on the floor with his knees raised and leaned back against the wall of the hallway. "Did you call your grandparents?"

"Yes. I just finished speaking with them. I thought you might want me to call you as well."

A faint smile was creeping across his lips, which Echizen couldn't keep out of his voice. "I do. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tezuka's response was equally warm.

"How was the plane ride?"

"All right. I read most of the way."

"What time is it over there now?"

"Almost noontime."

"Are you tired?"

"Not yet."

"Hey, what if that clinic person doesn't appear?"

"I know the address to the clinic." A pause. "Is everything all right over there?"

"Hmm? Yes. Why?"

"You sounded…bothered when you answered the phone."

Shrugging to himself, Echizen replied simply, "The old man."

Tezuka chuckled. "He's not that bad."

"You don't live with him."

"True. Other than that, everything else is well?"

"You've only been gone half a day, buchou," Ryoma pointed out teasingly, "What could possibly go wrong?"

The senior answered with gentle laughter. "I know. Now that I'm here, I guess I'm…." he trailed off.

Smirking, Echizen guessed, "Hunh, homesick already, Kuni-chan? You're worse than me."

"I didn't say that." The denial sounded a bit hollow to the freshman's ears but another thought had already crossed his mind.

"Ne, did you look at the pictures Fuji-senpai gave you?"

"Yes. There is one with just the two of us."

"You noticed. What're you gonna do with it?"

"Do? Mmm, I wonder."

"Eh?"

Instead of elaborating, Tezuka suddenly said, "I see someone holding a sign with my name."

"That must be your ride."

"I'll call you later."

"You can e-mail me." A beat. "You do know how to use e-mail, don't you?"

Tezuka's retort was a less than amused "Hmmph" before finishing with, "I'm going now. Ja ne."

After hanging up the phone, Echizen jumped up to his feet and stretched luxuriously. When Karupin came by and began rubbing against his legs, he bent down to pick him up and nuzzled him with affectionately. He went to the front living room to where his parents were and when his dad saw him, the elder Echizen commented in amusement, "What's with that huge grin, kid?"

Echizen lifted his shoulders casually. "What grin?"

"That thing on your face. Like you caught a bird or something. What'd you and kid-captain talk about?"

"None of your business," was his brusque response before turning to his mother and asking her what was for dinner. Though he did eat while he was out with his team, he was surprised to find that he was hungry again.

"Lamb and potato stew. It'll be ready in a bit. Why don't you go watch some tv until it's done?"

"It's okay." Echizen thought of something better. He went over to his dad and gave his shin a hard nudge with his foot. "Hey, old man, wanna play a match?"

Rubbing his ankle sourly, Nanjiroh glanced up at his son, studying him with narrowed eyes before shaking his head in resignation. He turned to his wife to gripe, "Tsk. Look at him. Like sunshine after a storm. Completely hopeless."

"What does that mean?" Echizen demanded.

"Don't mind him, Ryoma," his mother replied. She then gave her husband a firm push to urge him to stand up. "Go, play a match with your son," she commanded while giving him a stern look.

"Yes, honey. Let's go, brat, before she makes another threat about my magazines."

O

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The next day, Tezuka called again to let Echizen know his e-mail address at the health clinic since the room he was staying in had a computer with full Internet access. Since phone calls were expensive and the senior had a limited amount on his phone card, they agreed to correspond mainly by e-mail. It did not take long for Echizen to discover the complications involved in that decision. First of all, there was the issue of language. Because the computer Tezuka was using was in Germany with German-language programs, they had to first figure out how to switch it to English, which was provided as an option. Echizen vetoed the idea of corresponding in English, however, since while the senior was more fluent in English than most of the people Echizen knew here in Japan, to someone like him who was practically a native speaker, Tezuka's sincere attempts at speaking the language were still painful to his ears. His written skills were better, but Echizen still found himself unconsciously falling into the role of an editor every time he read Tezuka's English essays. It wasn't a responsibility he wanted to deal with for something that was more or less for enjoyment only. Therefore, they had to settle back on Japanese. To do this, he had to hold lengthy phone conferences with Tezuka in order to instruct him on how to download the proper Japanese language programs. While it did provide them with more excuses to chat directly on the phone, it was definitely not a cost-efficient exercise.

The second issue he had to deal with was in corresponding to Tezuka itself. Only when Echizen first sat down to try composing a message to the other boy did he realize that he had fallen into a bit of a quandary. He had no idea what to write. What didn't strike him as corny struck him as mundane. Was he to relay what went on with his life on a day to day basis? How would that be in any way interesting? He felt bored even imagining himself writing about that ordinary topic. As much as he enjoyed making fun of the other boy's lack of Internet usage, at least in the area of e-mailing with others, he really was no better than Tezuka. Letter writing was simply not his forte.

The problem lay not only in the fact that he had never corresponded with the senior through writing before—the need for it was never there—in general, he just never maintained a steady stream of written communication to anyone before. Whether it be letters or e-mails. With the latter, most of his electronic correspondence consisted of reading the sender's message and then responding with curt, one sentence replies. That is, if he even responded at all. The bulk of his e-mail messages were from his brother, who only started e-mailing him recently, and the frequency by which he even bothered answering those messages was in the range of 1:10. In other words, one reply for every ten e-mails. Then, for messages from people at school, he rarely wrote back to those as well, choosing either to call the person or just wait until he saw them at school the next day. Ironically, for someone who spent most of his time avoiding the task of talking to people on the phone while he was in America, after coming to Japan, his main source of communication with others has been by phone, when not in person.

Finally, frustrated with trying to come up with something creative to write to Tezuka, he settled for simply writing whatever came to his mind, regardless of logic or relevancy. As a result, his first e-mail to the young captain was as follows:

To: captain,

What would you do if I were to die?

E.

A few hours later, just after midnight, his cellphone rang, the sound jolting him awake with a start just as he was entering the REM cycle of his sleep. Heart racing, he grabbed his phone from the shelf behind his bed and demanded testily, "Who is this?"

"Are you all right?" The concern in Tezuka's voice was obvious even through the phone. He had just seen Echizen's unintentionally cryptic message.

"What? Tezuka?" Echizen glanced blearily at his clock. "It's late here."

"Sorry. Your e-mail…."

Echizen yawned as he replied, "Yeah, you got it? Just write back to me tomorrow."

"But…."

"Going back to sleep now. Bye." He hung up without waiting for a response, leaving the other boy with nothing but his own anxiety for the next seven to eight hours.

Sure enough, the next morning, shortly after his alarm went off, the senior called again. Still groggy, though more alert than he was last night, Echizen answered his phone with, "Tezuka. Why're you calling again?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

While rubbing the grit out of his eyes, Ryoma replied absently, "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because of what you said in your e-mail."

"My e-mail?" It took a second for the freshman to recall his words. "Oh. That. It was just a hypothetical question."

"About you dying? Why would you even be thinking about a subject like that?"

"I was just curious. What's wrong with you?"

Tezuka's voice was tense with seriousness as he stated, "Ryoma, do you understand how worried I was after seeing your e-mail? For the past seven hours I have just been sitting here in my room waiting until it was your time to wake up so that I could call you and make sure you were okay."

Dumbfounded, the younger boy questioned in wonder, "Really?"

"Yes."

"I see." Ducking his head in embarrassment, he apologized. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

A moment later, he heard a mildly wearisome sigh from Tezuka. "Don't ever do that again."

"I won't," he promised sincerely. When the senior didn't say anything further, he inquired, "So, what are you doing now? It's late at night over there now, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'm going to sleep after I take a shower."

"Ne. So, you really just sat there for all these hours?"

"At my desk. I even had to forfeit suppertime."

Echizen grinned. "I'm impressed."

"I'm glad you are," Tezuka replied sarcastically.

"You hungry? What are you gonna eat?"

"There's a vending machine in the commons room. I'll just get something there."

"German vending machine food. That sounds appealing."

"Thanks to you, that is all the choice I have now."

"Heh. All right, you enjoy then. I better go. Gotta get ready for school."

When Echizen checked his e-mail that night, Tezuka had written the following to him:

To: What would you do if I were to die?

I am not sure. I only know I will be very sad. I cannot imagine anything else beyond that.

Tezuka

The freshman smiled. It was a good enough answer for him.

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After that initial incident, Echizen tried to be a bit more conscientious about what he wrote, though his messages were still brief and his choice of subjects extremely random. He had a tendency to jump erratically from one topic to the next, which would not have been so disconcerting if it wasn't for his hyperactively short attention span. He lost interest in topics rather quickly, even though many times, he would be the one to introduce them. What he may mention in one e-mail, he would dismiss or ignore by the next, having already moved on mentally before Tezuka had a chance to respond. Even when the senior addressed his words as an invitation to continue on with the discussion, he had no qualms about putting an axe to the exchange. He was rotten at providing follow up reactions, regardless if circumstances might have called for them. On top of that, he liked e-mailing Tezuka as soon as inspiration hit and he was able to, therefore, there would be days when Tezuka would log on to his Inbox to find more than 20 messages from the freshman, all of which consisted of just one sentence the body of the e-mail. In summary, Echizen's e-mail habits were reminiscent of someone possessing a serious case of attention deficit disorder.

Tezuka, on the other hand, could not be more different in his writing style. If an analogy had to be made between their ways of correspondence, then Echizen's would be comparable to a no touch ace while Tezuka would be a long rally. On top of that, there was even a sense of structure, purpose and continuity to his messages. Whenever he was responding to Echizen's multitude of messages, he would try to combine the ones that had some relation to each other together so that he could answer in a more organized fashion. Messages he initiated on his own were usually impressive in their length and content; his missives were both descriptive and informative about his new environment and daily routines, never failing to provide information about the people he's met and activities he's engaged in. Ironically, Echizen found his prose to be rather wordy, not to mention a bit rambling as well, but he still enjoyed reading all his messages from beginning to end because they provided a vivid picture of the captain's daily life at the health clinic. Being able to live vicariously through the older boy's words provided a bridge to the geographical distance separating them and helped ease the steadily growing sense of isolation.

While the frequent e-mails and intermittent phone calls helped, naturally, nothing could replace the gratification of being able to see one another. If that wasn't bad enough, they were also beginning to sorely miss having actual physical contact, not to mention contact of the sexual nature. Though neither of them have mentioned it, one can easily surmise that this prolong cessation of sexual activity must somehow be weighing down on their minds, even if they might not immediately recognize the feelings for what they were. They went from having sex practically every day to having nothing whatsoever; the extremity of the situation had to be felt. At least where Echizen was concerned, whenever the yearning arose, it would bring about a fluttery sensation in his chest and stomach in addition to a tightening of his groin. Images from their past couplings would then pop up in his mind, making his breath catch followed by a furious rush of blood to his nether regions. Even though these episodes usually occurred at night while he was in bed, oftentimes as a result of him thinking about the senior, he did nothing to resolve the tension. Instead, he would just lay there and patiently wait for the urge to pass. In its wake, he tend to feel embarrassed, slightly annoyed by the idea that he was acting like some oversexed teenager, regardless of the fact that he essentially was close to being one—a teenager, that is. Though he had gathered enough knowledge to understand at the back of his mind that there was really nothing abnormal about his feelings, the more dominant part of his consciousness insisted that he was somehow beyond such pedestrian desires. After all, it wasn't like he was some kind of nymphomaniac, why wouldn't he be able to control himself until Tezuka returned?

Just the same, he began to wonder if Tezuka was encountering the same problem and how or if he did anything to resolve it. He never asked Tezuka if he masturbated, the question never even crossed his mind. Now that he thought about it, he was curious to the answer, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to inquire. If they were in the presence of each other right now, he had no doubt that he would be able to ask Tezuka with no hesitation at all. It was the idea of asking by e-mail or on the phone that stopped him. He couldn't put his finger on exactly what was the difference, only that it was somehow less lame if he did it in person.

As his mind continued to circulate around the topic of sex, or the lack of, to be specific, he started to contemplate about means of resolving his predicament. It essentially came down to three points: a) he missed sex; b) he missed having sex with Tezuka, and c) he only wanted to have sex with Tezuka. So the real issue was to find some way to resolve the dilemma springing from these three points in a satisfying way while still maintaining his dignity.

Damn.

He came close to cracking too when he went over to visit Tezuka's grandparents. After chatting with them, he went up to Tezuka's room to look for a book for one of his history assignments. That was the main reason. A secondary but no less important reason was that he just wanted to take a quick look into the senior's room; if nothing else, he figured it'd be amusing to catch a quick glimpse of that his sketch on Tezuka's computer monitor. Just a look, because it would be funny. Of course it wasn't because he was just feeling nostalgic about the older boy. The indigestion-like sensation he experienced on the first day following Tezuka's departure hadn't left him at all, instead it seemed to have gotten worse as more days went by.

Once inside Tezuka's bedroom, he was startled to find that the little cartoon was gone. His forehead creasing in perplexity, he stood staring for a while at the empty spot where the small piece of paper had previously been. "Did he take that with him?" he wondered aloud to the empty room. He emitted a soft bark of laughter in disbelief and shook his head. "Weird guy." As he glanced over at a picture of the young captain, his lips spread in a lopsided grin. "You're weird," he informed the image.

He then went over to Tezuka's bed and sat down on it with his legs dangling over the edge. The room was too quiet though it didn't feel as empty as it should have since even without his actual presence, Tezuka's essence still permeated the place. It was comforting. After a few minutes, he decided to lie down on the bed just to breathe in the scent of his sheets. He had probably changed them before leaving because all Ryoma could smell was fabric softener, which he actually enjoyed. Though he told the elderly Tezukas that he would only be up here for a minute, he found himself reluctant to leave the comfort of the older boy's bed. Predictably, the inevitable happened: as he continued to remain splayed out in a relaxed pose, Ryoma's mind soon turned to the memories of the last time he was here. In particular, what they had been doing. Though all his warning signals went off, he didn't realize what he was doing until his hand was already halfway down his pants. He immediately pulled his hand out with a start and jumped up and off of the bed.

"Geez," he uttered in disgust, completely irritated at himself. What was he thinking? This was getting ridiculous. Something had to be done, and soon.

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He called Tezuka that night. Luckily he caught him in his room. Since it was Saturday over there, he had expected the senior to be out somewhere, so he was pleased to find that Tezuka had decided to stay in to finish some assignments. He had no idea how he was going to bring up his "problem" with the other boy. He was hoping that in the course of their conversation, something would come up to allow him to broach the subject, even though at the same time he knew that the chances of Tezuka magically providing him with a good opening was pretty much zero. He had a feeling that in the end, he would probably have no choice but to just come out and talk about it openly, despite his misgivings.

First things first: "Hey, what'd you do with my drawing?" he inquired as soon as pleasantries were exchanged.

"What drawing?"

"The thing you stuck on your computer screen, weirdo. Did you take it with you?"

"You were in my room?"

"Yeah, I was visiting your grandparents."

"I see," he sounded a little surprised. "Er, thank you. How do they look?"

"They look fine. You spoke to them last night, didn't you?"

"Yes, but it's nice to know they look healthy."

"So did you?"

"What? Oh. Yes. Why?"

"I dunno, I was just surprised. Why'd you do that?"

"I wanted to bring it," Tezuka replied matter-of-factly. "Is there a problem?"

"No. I just thought it was weird. You're weird."

"Hmm," came the noncommittal reply.

Since the older boy sounded distracted, Echizen asked him, "What're you doing?"

"Gomen. I was in the middle of reading a book one of the doctors here provided me when you called."

"Is it in German?"

"Yes."

"What's it about?" The truth was, Echizen didn't really care about the book, he was more interested in what would capture Tezuka's attention.

"It's about sports medicine since I told him I was interested in that subject in general."

"Ah." Even though he was in that country, Echizen had forgotten until now that Tezuka was somewhat fluent in that language. "Read it to me," he suddenly said.

"Hmm? Why?"

"I never heard you speak German before, I want to hear how it sounds coming from you."

The older boy chuckled. "Are you bored?"

"Just do it, baka. I want to hear. Maybe you could help me fall asleep."

"Brat."

Still, Tezuka obliged, and Echizen closed his eyes as he listened to the other boy. He had to admit he had always enjoyed the pitch and timbre of Tezuka's voice, even though there was a nasally quality to it. Had it been anyone else, that quality would have bugged him to no end, but because it was Tezuka, he found it acceptable and even slightly appealing. If he was the type of person prone to attacks of affectionate expressions, he would probably say that he thought Tezuka's voice was downright sexy. And although he had never really thought about how he felt about the German language—he had always dismissed it as being a bit guttural and abrupt—he decided now that it wasn't too bad coming from Tezuka's lips. Was that Tezuka's doing? Perhaps. Or maybe he was being inanely biased. When Tezuka paused at the end of the paragraph (presumably) to wait for further instructions, Echizen told him to continue.

As he continued to listen to the enthralling sound of the senior's voice, the tell-tale fluttering, tightening, breath-catching, and rushing sensations began to run through him, startling him a little. No way, was he becoming this responsive to just the guy's voice? Echizen rolled his eyes in disdain at himself. But then a wicked idea began to form in his mind, causing him to almost snicker out loud. It was too much. How hard up was he, for crying out loud? Though that thought was immediately followed by: Should he try? Could he bring himself to do it? The idea was a bit outrageous, depraved and embarrassing, not to mention desperate. No, actually, it was more than a little desperate. Not so much the act itself, but more the circumstances surrounding the act. Then again, it does qualify as a solution to his current problem. And how would Tezuka react? In wondering about that, his eagerness to try out his idea intensified. He would love to know how Tezuka would react. Knowing the senior, he could totally imagine him sitting there, frozen in shock, with that bewildered look on his face that Ryoma always found rather goofy.

Coming to a decision, he grinned widely with mischief and then glanced over at his bedroom door to make sure he had locked it. He usually did before calling Tezuka. He then shifted down from a sitting position on his bed so that he was lying on his right side. Holding his phone in place against his ear with his right hand, his left reached downward and underneath the waistband of his shorts. When his hand made contact with his member, which was more than ready, he shut his eyes tightly and bit his lip, just as well of laughter surged within in him, threatening to escape his lips. He still couldn't believe he was doing this. True, he and Tezuka weren't shy about trying different things out, but they have never done anything as scandalous as this (if you disregard having sex at a very young age as scandalous). What made the experience even more priceless was the fact that Tezuka was still oblivious as to what was going on, while Echizen's hand motions began to pick up speed. It seemed as if somewhere along the line, Tezuka had gotten enveloped in what he was reading again, therefore, it took a while for him to realize there was something going on at the other end.

The biggest clue was probably the unconscious sounds Echizen started to make, engrossed as he was in his fervent activity. At first, the only indication that Tezuka had noticed was the brief pauses in his recitation, as if he wasn't quite sure if he had heard right. The pauses became a little bit longer, until, even within his preoccupation, Ryoma noticed that Tezuka had stopped reading altogether. He let out a small chuckle, followed by a soft whimper, as he forced himself to ask, "Why…why're you stopping?"

Tezuka immediately came back with, "What are you doing?"

Without slowing down even a little, the freshman answered breathlessly, "What do you think?" When there was no response from the other boy, he instructed, "Keep reading."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why do you think?" The tension in Tezuka's voice was palpable.

Any laughter Echizen felt was quickly overcome by other more immediate demands. As he continued to pleasure himself, Tezuka only listened in silence on the other line, signs of his presence all but absent, if it wasn't for Echizen's certainty that there was no way the older boy would _not_ be paying close attention.

Echizen's hips were soon pistoning in cadence with his hand as more alluring noise escaped him. It did not take long for him to work himself up to his climax, since his release has essentially been deprived for close to a month already. Still cautious of his environment, he pressed his face hard onto his phone and pillow so that the uncontrollably enthusiastic groan that escaped him at his completion was hopefully only audible to his one member audience on the other end.

Recovery time took a few minutes. When he was finally ready to continue his phone call again, the first thing he did was degenerate into fits of quiet laughter, his mind still in disbelief at what he had just done. Perhaps there was some of his dad's personality in him after all. The idea was so distasteful to him that he could only react by laughing even more.

Some time later, when he at last calmed down and stifled what remaining mirth he felt, he shakily inquired after his partner on the line. "How are you doing, captain?"

"How do you think?" came the stiff reply, which only tickled Ryoma even more. "I'm glad you're pleased," Tezuka added, an obvious hint of accusation in his tone.

"Ah, gomen. I can't help it. If it'd make you feel better, I can return the favor. What would you like me to read something in, um, English?"

"No thanks," Tezuka said wryly.

"Eh? Why not? It's only fair. I could read from my English workbook. "

"No."

"Are you upset, Kuni-chan?" Echizen teased.

"No. You…you are not making it easier for me."

That wasn't what he expected to hear. "How do you mean?"

Tezuka hesitated. "I do think about you," he confessed quietly. "A lot."

Echizen smiled at that. "Then why don't you try it, Tezuka? You'll feel better."

"No, I won't."

"Why not?"

The other boy sighed, as if tired, but did not respond right away. When Echizen prodded him further, his reply was, "It will only make me wish I was there with you even more."

Taken aback by the sincerity of his reply, Echizen was momentarily at a loss for words. Normally, he would come right back with a snappy comment to poke fun at Tezuka for being so corny once again. However, this time, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Perhaps it was due to the reality of the distance between them. He discovered that he didn't mind accepting the words and showing his appreciation for them.

"You're right," he said. "I wish you were too."

A thoughtful silence ensued. More heartfelt words could have been said, but because neither of them were the type to spell all their feelings out in plain verbiage, they let their individual knowledge of each other speak for them.

Finally, taking a deep breath, Tezuka announced, "I think I must go take a shower now."

Laughing, they ended their call soon after and Echizen was left staring down at his soiled hand and abdomen in distaste. He would have to find a way to sneak out and run into the bathroom quickly. He also had to figure out how the heck he was going to clean off the mess from his bed-sheets as well. He hoped his family was downstairs. There would be no way of lying his way out of this situation, especially if the person he bumped into was his dad. Being the ecchi old man that he was, Nanjiroh would probably instantly guess what his son had been up to.

Still, despite the potential of discovery, Echizen knew it was all well worth it. Especially since this would be his last "release" for a while. He decided he would hold off on giving into his desires until Tezuka came back. It was only the fair thing to do. It would be difficult, for sure, but knowing that the senior would be experiencing the same frustrations as he would undoubtedly make the struggle more bearable. Not to mention, if Tezuka could hold out for that long, there was no reason why he couldn't as well. The guy was older, after all, the urges must be worse for him.

Echizen nodded with confidence. Yes, he was sure of it: at least in this game, there was no way he would lose to Tezuka.

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One week later….

"What…what the HELL?" Nanjiroh shouted as he stared down in shock at the phone bill clutched in his hands. "Rin-chan," he handed her the statement with shaky hands, "H-how many zeroes are there? Am I _seeing_ things? This has to be a mistake, right?"

Though she didn't want to add to her husband's ire, even she was surprised by the balance. Her sharp intake of breath was all the confirmation Nanjiroh needed. He began to rifle through the pages frantically to find the source for that unbelievable amount.

"Look, it's these calls! And they're all to…Germany! Oh my God, that shitty brat! What the HELL is he thinking? ECHIZEN RYOMA GET YOUR DAMNED ASS DOWN HERE!"

"Now Nanjiroh, let's just…try to approach this calmly…." Rinko tried.

"CALMLY? I am calm, Rin-chan. Very calm. And now, I am going to calmly strangle that stupid boy of ours with my bare hands. HEY, BRAT! GET DOWN HERE! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

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**Author's Notes**: Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter to follow…erm…as soon as possible? (runs off to hide)

**Author's Notes Part II: **haha, since more than one person asked about it, yes, I know Echizen is their family name, and it was a conscious decision on my part to use that instead of Ryoma. I figured that he would fall back on using the more "formal" way of calling his son since in this instance, yelling at him in his given name would almost be too affectionate. Hope that makes sense!

**Author's Notes Part III: ** I concede. My personal Japanese expert told me in no uncertain terms that no matter what my justification is, it is not right in any way, so I have changed it. Thank you for the readers who pointed it out first and pardons my stubbornness.


	18. Focus: Competition, Part I

**Author's Note:** Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, Happy White Day, and Happy St. Patrick's Day (for all you American and Irish readers).

Thank you to my dear beta-reader, Zen Nat, for being so patient and supportive; once again, any remaining errors within the chapter are entirely my own doing. And thank you also to everyone who continues to read and put up with the ridiculously long wait for every new chapter! I am hopeless. Waah!

**Rating:** G (sorry)

**Focus: Competition, Part 1**

"Kon-ni-chi-wa, Echizen-kuun!"

As soon as the first syllable exploded from his cellphone, Ryoma winced and held it a few inches from his ear, which was already ringing from the volume of the greeting. He was on his way to the kitchen and had just reached the bottom landing of his stairs when his phone went off. Thinking it was either Tezuka or one of his teammates, he was wholly unprepared for the screaming voice that blared out at him. Even Kikumaru wasn't this loud! When he glanced down in dismay at the display screen to see who the caller was, he was rather disconcerted to see that the number was not one he recognized.

After the energetic salutation, the other person had fallen silent, apparently waiting for his response. While keeping the phone at a safe distance, Echizen warily inquired, "Who's this?"

"It's me, Kentarou Aoi!" came the jubilant reply, at the same decibel level.

"I see," Echizen's response was markedly less enthusiastic. He should've guessed that it was the freshman captain of Rokkaku based on his loudness alone, which was odd because, from what he remembered, in the short time they spent together during the Kantou semifinals, Ryoma was positive he had never given Kentarou his phone number. At one point the boy did ask, but some distraction at the time had spared him the obligation to provide the information. Curious, he asked, "Who gave you my number?" though his tone came off more curt than he consciously intended.

Kentarou gasped and immediately apologized, his voice wrought with genuine worry, "Ah! Gomen! I asked Fuji-san for it. Was that wrong of me, Echizen-kun? You're not upset, are you?"

The truth was he was only slightly bothered, definitely not enough to warrant such a reaction. He hadn't been anticipating a phone call from this particular person, so he wasn't all too keen on having to maintain a conversation with said person. However, his level of annoyance really wasn't any more than if any other person had unexpectedly called him. He figured once his patience threshold was breached, he could always just hang up on the guy. Getting straight to the point, he questioned, "So, what do you want?"

Obviously happy that he wasn't being hung up on after admitting to what could be construed as a breach of etiquette, Kentarou answered eagerly, "I'm glad you asked, Echizen-kun! Since today is Sunday and you don't have practice—right?—I was wondering, are you free?"

Ryoma crinkled his forehead and slouched against the wall beside him. "Free for what?"

"You see, I happen to be in your neighborhood today, so I was wondering if, perhaps, you could accompany me for a little while, just so I won't have to go home so early? Maybe, we can go get something to eat?"

Before he had a chance to answer, Kentarou hurriedly added, "We don't have to go eat of course. That was only a suggestion. It's already 11:30 so you probably ate already. Anything would be fine with me. We could go do something else. Maybe you can suggest something? Oh! How about tennis? We could go play some tennis? Unless…." he hesitated, and as if prepared for disappointed, continued bracingly, "Unless you're busy? Of course you could be busy. I should have thought of that. I shouldn't have been so presumptuous. Sorry! Sorry! I know I shouldn't have dropped by unannounced…"

"Wait, what?'" Echizen straightened up instantly. He had begun to tune out Kentarou's rambling until that last bit caught his attention. "You're here? Right now?" He instinctively glanced outside the small window by his front door, expecting to see the other boy right on his doorsteps, but of course he was most likely still outside his front gate, and the high wall surrounding his house prevented him from seeing beyond his yard.

With a mildly anxious chuckle, Kentarou responded in the affirmative.

His lips twisting into a small frown, Ryoma questioned brusquely, "What're you doing here?"

"Well, as I mentioned, I was, erm, in your neighborhood…."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard." Echizen was already unlocking his front door. "Just…hold on a minute…." He hurried out across his yard to the gate, and sure enough, as soon as he opened it, there the other boy was, beaming and waving with all his might.

"You are here," Ryoma stated stupidly, his frown deepening when he realized he just stated the obvious. He couldn't help being bewildered: after all, it wasn't everyday that a person he barely knew would just pop up unannounced at his house. He would expect such actions from someone like Momoshiro or Eiji or even Horio, but not from someone whom he had just met a week ago and already mostly forgotten. "Fuji-senpai gave you my address too?"

Kentarou nodded with a contrite smile as he ran his hand back and forth across the back of his neck. "I know it was a bit forward of me to ask, and I should have asked your permission first…." He trailed off, not sure what else he could say.

Ryoma wasn't really offended, just puzzled. "What if I weren't home?"

The other freshman shrugged good-naturedly. "I would've had to go home, I guess." He gave a small laugh. "I hadn't even considered that. Luck must be on my side today!"

Echizen only grunted softly, not sure at this point if luck was really on the Kentarou's side, or just not on his.

"But, if you're busy, Echizen-kun," Kentarou went on to say hesitantly, "it's okay. We could just make plans for another day."

Ryoma naturally wondered why he would want to make plans with the guy for another day for any reason, but rather than saying that out loud, curiosity got the better of him, and he asked instead, "What're you going to do now?"

"Well, I-I guess I'll just have to go home."

It was obvious from the boy's disappointed expression that that was the last option he wanted to end up with. Though usually Echizen wouldn't allot any sympathy points for something like that, because of the timing, he actually paused and gave the guy a moment of consideration. Perhaps luck was on the Rokkaku captain's side. The fact of the matter was, Ryoma really didn't have much planned for today. Had it been under any other circumstances—namely, if Tezuka was here instead of in Germany—he wouldn't even need to think twice about rejecting Kentarou's invitation. In fact, at this time of the day, he probably would've been either gone or on his way out to meet up with Tezuka. Even if, on the slight chance that he was still home, the other freshman's tendency to shout his words instead of speaking them in a normal voice was a deterrence enough for him to accompany him anywhere.

Now, however, in Tezuka's absence, things were a little different. He was all of a sudden left with a lot of leisure time, and Echizen found that he actually had trouble filling it with worthwhile activities. He could only spend so many hours lazing about at home, playing with Karupin or engaging in his old pastimes, such as playing his PS2 or Gameboy, watching tv, or lying on his bed listening to his iPod while reading manga. Once in a while he did do out on outings with his family or his teammates, but still, there were days where he just had absolutely nothing to do and could not even muster up the motivation to find something to do. Today happened to be one of those days.

There was his training menu to complete. In fact, Inui had just created a more rigorous training regimen for the Regulars in preparation for their game against Rikkai. However, even with that, Echizen estimated that the exercises would probably take up all of 5 - 6 hours; that still left more than the better part of the day open.

He then remembered the old man asking him—or, telling him, rather—last night about helping out with cleaning duties at the temple. But thinking about that only pushed him more in favor of considering Kentarou's offer.

After a few seconds, concerned about his silence, the other boy called out his name tentatively. Ryoma immediately responded by holding up his hand and stated commandingly, "Hold on, I'm thinking."

As Kentarou continued to wait patiently, Echizen weighed his options: tell the guy to go home and grapple with the threat of boredom or hang out with him and bear with his presence which may potentially be extremely annoying. At the moment, he found both choices almost equally unappealing. Though, truth be told, he was hungry since he had been on his way to look for something to eat in the kitchen, _and_ he was kind of in the mood for ramen. He could always go out to eat by himself, but when was the last time he went out with someone who wasn't within his immediate family or a part of the tennis club? The time he took Sakuno to the racket stringer's place didn't count since she was the old lady's granddaughter and participated in just about every club event he could recall. That person was practically a club member.

Finally, growing weary of even having to waste time considering this issue and influenced by a sense of morbid curiosity, he decided to let the Rokkaku freshman choose his own fortune.

"Hey," Echizen addressed him, "you like ramen?"

"Yes!" Kentarou answered enthusiastically without hesitation while cheerfully bobbing his head to emphasize his words. "I love ramen!"

Sighing in resignation, Ryoma shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and cocked his head once to the side. "All right, calm down. Let's go."

"Yatta!" the other boy whooped in pure joy. "I'm so glad, Echizen-kun!"

Thinking the guy was a little soft in the head for being so overly excited over nothing, Ryoma lifted his shoulders nonchalantly in response and replied tonelessly, "Mada mada dane."

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Echizen led them to the Little Ramen House, a noodle shop a few blocks from his house which he frequented quite often. Despite its name, the restaurant was actually moderately sized with two main dining rooms and even a small patio area. During the week, professionals from the nearby offices or clerks from shops would gather in droves during lunchtime, while during the early evening hours, families or business associates getting together after work made up most of the dinner crowd. Due to the number of adult patrons, both high school and middle school students rarely came to the noodle shop, and for that reason, it was one of his favorite haunts with Tezuka. They preferred the less aggravating noise level and the generally more mature demographics, despite the occasional presence of children. In addition, the way the rooms were arranged allowed them to sit at tables that hid them from easy view from the front door. The atmosphere here was definitely more subdued than McDonald's or Q's Ice Cream Parlor, the two places their peers tended to aggregate. And even then, the only people he and Tezuka ever came close to bumping into were Akutsu and Dan from Yamabuki. Considering the number of Seigaku students and even students from nearby schools such as Hyotei and Fudomine that popped up in there, Echizen knew only sheer luck would account that.

Therefore, given the even lower probability of accidentally meeting up with someone he knew at the Little Ramen House, Echizen was downright astonished when, as soon as he and Kentarou stepped foot into the place, they came face-to-face with none other than his Momo-senpai.

All of them momentarily caught off guard at the unexpected encounter, the three boys only stood staring at one another speechlessly. Echizen was the first to snap out of the brief stupor, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, Momo beat him to it by exclaiming loudly, "Echizen and Kentarou of Rokkaku? What're the two of you doing here?!"

Pressing a finger to his ear in protest, Echizen answered sardonically, "What do you think, senpai?"

In contrast, Kentarou gave a nod out of respect and then offered a jovial greeting. "Momoshiro-san! Nice to see you again!"

"Same here, same here! How're you doing, Kentarou-kun? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Since the tournament! This is definitely a good day! I get to have lunch with Echizen-kun_ and_ see Momoshiro-san again!"

"Ah, so you came to visit Echizen? I thought you two were hitting it off during the tournament."

"No, he was in the area," Ryoma corrected.

Kentarou inclined his head in agreement. "Yes, yes. And I asked Echizen-kun if he'd be so kind as to join me for lunch. Ah! Momoshiro-san, would you like to join us too?"

"No, thank you! I just finished eating. I was actually on my way out. The ramen here is excellent."

"I didn't know you come to this place, Momo-senpai," Echizen asked.

"Of course! I live close by too, you know. Why? You eat here often as well?"

Ryoma shrugged casually. "Sometimes."

"Funny I've never bumped into you. Oh!" Grinning, Momo lowered his head to whisper, "Do you come here with…?"

"Momo-senpai," the freshman intoned edgily while giving him a warning look.

Curious, Kentarou inquired, "With who, Momoshiro-san?"

Momo cleared his throat, his eyes twinkling in amusement at the expression on his kouhai's face. He had no intention of divulging such pertinent information, of course; for the sake of his captain, he would never do anything like that. He just loved teasing the freshman every opportunity he got, especially since it was rather easy to get him all riled up. And now with Tezuka out of the country, he had even more freedom to provoke the younger boy since he didn't have to worry about the senior appearing behind him unannounced. Knowing also that Echizen wasn't the wimpy type who would whine about being made fun of to Tezuka made things even better. There was little chance that their captain would ever find out and therefore exact some kind of rigorous revenge on him on Echizen's behalf.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, the second year presently replied, "No one, no one. Just…his dad." He guffawed at his own joke, proud of his cleverness, which only earned him another dirty look from his kouhai. Not wanting to trigger more questions from the Rokkaku freshman, Momoshiro uttered a few more parting words before heading on out.

"Annoying," Echizen muttered under his breath in his wake.

"You two don't get along, Echizen-kun?" Kentarou asked as they sat down at their table.

"Huh?" Echizen blinked, surprised at the boy's assumption. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you just said he was annoying…."

"He is."

The Rokkaku captain scratched his head. "But you don't mean that in a negative way?"

"Just because he's annoying doesn't mean we don't get along."

Kentarou frowned and thought about that for a moment. His expression lit up when he thought he finally figured it out. "I see, you're actually good friends."

Echizen lifted one shoulder. He never thought about his relationship with Momoshiro, but if based on default and nothing else, the older boy probably would qualify as a good friend. "Something like that," he answered absently as he studied the menu boards.

"How nice! I hope I can be good friends with Echizen-kun too!"

The freshman eyed him oddly, not quite sure what to think of the declaration. "Eh?"

THe other boy only sighed in contentment and breathed, "I'm just so happy I get to have lunch with Echizen-kun."

"Okay," was all Ryoma said in return. Echizen thought the guy was a bit on the weird side, though not entirely insufferably, despite his insistence on shouting his words instead of speaking them. On their way to the restaurant, Kentarou had kept up a steady stream of conversation the entire time, and while normally Ryoma would already be aggravated by such a loquacious personality, in this instance, he found the chatter somewhat bearable, most likely because the other freshman had talked about things he was actually interested in, such as the current manga he was reading, which also happened to be one that Echizen liked. Even though the guy had the tendency to punctuate his words with goofy gestures or even outlandish reenactments of actual scenes from the story, Echizen was willing to forgive the over-the-top behavior since he was obviously a genuine fan of the series.

If he were to stop and think about it, Echizen would perhaps realize that he was being rather magnanimous towards Kentarou. Part of the reason for his generosity had to do with his dread of boredom, which was allowing him to be more patient than usual. Another part was the fact that the Rokkaku freshman actually reminded him of his Momoshiro-senpai, which made bumping into the second year all the more ironic. Of course the Kentarou was generally much louder than his senpai, but the two boys did share the similar attributes of being outgoing and full of seemingly boundless energy, with the tendency to get passionate and excited over just about everything at the drop of a pin. When they first met, Echizen did find those qualities in his senpai rather obnoxious, but by now he had long gotten used to them. In fact, many times, he was even mildly amused by Momoshiro's overreaction to what he perceived to be trivial matters. But what was probably the older boy's real saving grace was the fact that he was completely devoid of the cuteness factor which his Kikumaru-senpai possessed in spades, which would have in turn tipped him into the realm of being a nuisance instead of just entertaining in Echizen's eyes. Since he did not perceive any such cuteness quotient in Kentarou either, the Rokkaku freshman was also safe from his ire for now.

Due to the favorable resemblance and the boy's ability of chatting about subjects he actually enjoyed, by the meal's end, Echizen had warmed up enough to Kentarou that when he inquired about their after meal activities, instead of turning him down as he originally planned to do, Ryoma asked, "Like what?"

"Tennis, of course! We've got to play tennis!"

Echizen gave him a quick once-over and pointed out wryly, "You don't have your racket."

Kentarou's eyes widened and he looked down and around himself in surprise, as if expecting his racket to materialize somewhere on his body. When the realization of his carelessness sank in, he gave his forehead a resounding smack and then grimaced, at both the pain and his own stupidity. "Shimatta! You're right, Echizen-kun! What was I thinking? I can't believe I forgot! Geez! And here I've been talking about tennis, tennis, tennis the whole time. Stupid! I'm such a big idiot!"

"Take it easy," Echizen said, his tone more reproachful than consolatory. "It's no big deal."

"Oh! I know! I can rent one!"

"No. It's pointless without your racket."

"Eh? Why? I can do just as well without my racket!"

"You barely get by with it," the freshman countered bluntly.

With a loud bark of laughter, Kentarou accepted the intentional dig at his recent loss with good humor. "That was mean, Echizen-kun! Pouring salt on a fresh wound! Now I really must demand a rematch."

"When you have your racket," the freshman reiterated. "I'm not interested otherwise."

Kentarou sighed in grudging acceptance, and then smiled surreptitiously, elated at the implied possibility of a future date with the other boy for a tennis match. He actually had to squelch the urge to just break out in an ear-to-ear grin since he was simply delighted at how well things have been going between them thus far. It took all of his self control to suppress that urge, lest the freshman got suspicious. He intended to reveal his true intentions eventually, but now was still too early. He anticipated it would probably take another "date" or two before it would be appropriate to tell Echizen what his motives were.

"Let's see, if tennis is out," he mused out loud, "what should we do, I wonder?" He paused thoughtfully and then sudden cried out, "I know! How about a ga-cen? Let's go to a ga-cen!"

Ryoma pressed a finger against the tragus of his right ear to neutralize the ringing that resulted from the outburst. "You didn't have to scream," he groused.

"Ah, gomen, gomen! I tend to get loud when I'm excited. But Echizen-kun, do you like playing video games?"

The boy had of course struck yet another target with him, but Echizen purposefully downplayed his reaction, not wanting the guy to pop a blood vessel from excitement. He gave a small shrug and casually replied, "They're okay."

Not that it did any good: Kentarou knew he had struck gold. "I like them too!" he gushed, "I go to ga-cens all the time and I have an Xbox and PS2 at home that I play all the time! What kind of vid games do you like most, Echizen-kun? First person shooter? Racing? RPG? Something with aliens or monsters? Or, could it be… Dance Dance Revolution?"

Echizen made a face in distaste at his last guess. "Of course not," he said indignantly.

The Rokkaku captain chuckled heartily. "I'm joking. I can't imagine Echizen-kun playing that either." He then added in a rush, "Though I'm sure you'd be very cute."

Occupied with pulling out his wallet, the freshman missed the last part. "What?"

"Nothing! Echizen-kun! Please, put your wallet away! Let me treat!"

"Why?" Ignoring him, Ryoma was already starting to calculate his half of the bill.

"To thank you for keeping me company, of course!"

"Not necessary."

"But I insist! I won't feel right otherwise."

"I said it's okay."

"Please! I want to!" Kentarou insisted.

Echizen was starting to get irritated. "Hey, I already said…."

"Please, please!" With that, the Rokkaku captain jumped up with the bill and hurried over to the cashier, calling out as he did so, "Ojisan! I'm paying!"

Exasperated, Ryoma rolled his eyes and shook his head before setting his elbow on the table and resting his cheek heavily on the palm of one hand. He surrendered the fight, not wanting to add to the scene that the Rokkaku freshman was already causing, even though he wasn't all too pleased with the arrangement. He was more than happy to let his senpais or even his schoolmates pay for him, and many times, even straight out demanded it, but since Kentarou was little more than an acquaintance, he felt slightly uncomfortable about it, especially with the natural sense of obligation that came with having someone he barely knew treat him to a meal, or anything else for that matter. As the other boy's booming voice continued to fill the interior of the establishment, completely overwhelming the more restrained chitchat coming from the other patrons, he began to have second thoughts about his generous decision to hang out longer with the other boy. In fact, he had a feeling he would soon regret it.

O  
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And regret it he did, almost as soon as they got to the game center. Or maybe even before that. Despite his initial lukewarm feelings about the Rokkaku captain, Kentarou managed to squander most of his good will during their trip to the game center. To be fair, he didn't really do anything to deserve the transformation in the freshman's regard; he acted no different than when they first started out for the ramen shop. There was no noticeable trigger for it, at least not one that Echizen would even be able to pinpoint if asked. All of a sudden, he just found the Rokkaku freshman's exuberance grating on his nerves. However, if one were to attempt to find the reason, a clue may be found in the course of their conversation from the ramen shop to the game center. Talk had gone from games to movies to shows and then to tennis: world-renowned athletes, the Nationals, the Prefecture tournaments, their common middle-school opponents, and finally, their respective team and individual teammates. Specifically, being a captain himself, Kentarou was curious about Tezuka's leadership style, and therefore inquired about it. They lingered for a while on the subject of Tezuka, with the discussion eventually centering on Tezuka's current stay in Germany. As Kentarou continued to ask innocent questions about how Echizen and his teammates felt about their captain being absent in such a crucial time, since it was widely known that the Seigaku captain was held in very high regard by his team, Echizen started to think about how tired he was becoming of the other boy's chatter. He didn't want to answer questions about Tezuka, about whether or not he missed the senior, especially when the questions came from someone who, as far as he was concerned, had no need to know of how he felt.

It took a while but eventually, Kentarou began to notice a definite change in the freshman's disposition. It wasn't hard, really: to begin with, Echizen already wasn't the talkative type, so when his responses became more and more brief, until he was barely just grumbling one word replies, the contrast was obvious. The freshman might as well have fallen silent completely. However, though aware of the sudden chilliness, Kentarou was at a loss as to how to fix the problem, having not a clue as to what might have caused it. And while most people would have wisely chosen to moderate their flow of words in response, the Rokkaku first year did the exact opposite. He couldn't help it; he hated silences, and especially in these circumstances, silence spelled doom for him. Therefore, as a way of stalling it, or maybe just to drown himself in noise of his own making as a means of denial, he intensified his efforts to keep the conversation going. Soon enough, he was going on and on almost without pause, for fear of being greeted with silence from his companion should there be one.

When they reached their destination, both of them were visibly relieved; the presence of all those game consoles with their colorful displays and tempting sounds of mindless fun to be had providing hope of much welcomed distractions. Kentarou could've redeemed himself completely at the outstart, if he had simply fallen back and allowed Echizen to take the lead on which games to play. Too bad for him, in his haste to regain favor, he made the almost critical error deciding on what they were going to do first, and of all the games available, his attention was unfortunately ensnared by the line of UFO catcher machines sitting against the right wall of the arcade.

Thinking now was his opportunity to win back some points with the freshman, he exclaimed while pointing at the machines, "Echizen-kun! Look, UFO catchers! Do you like UFO catchers? I love them! Look! That one has Hamtaro plush toys as prizes! Cuuute! I bet I could get one!" He hurried over. "You know what, Echizen-kun? I'm actually quite good at this. I usually get what I want. Which one do you think I should try for? How about this one? It's in a pretty tight spot, won't you say? Yosh! I'll get this one!"

If Kentarou had spared just one second to glance over at Ryoma, he would have noticed the stony expression on the freshman's face and realized sooner what a wrong choice he had made, not just in choosing the UFO catcher, but in choosing that particular catcher. Echizen _hated_ Hamtaro. Hated those stupid rodents with a passion. He hated their disgusting cuteness and often nurtured wayward fantasies of sicing his cat on them. His mind had no problem picturing Karupin chewing the little animated monsters into a messy glob which he could then step on until there was nothing left but a bloody colorful puddle on the ground. Strangely enough, at the same time, he didn't harbor the same ill will against their real life counterparts, finding hamsters rather quaint, if completely useless. He only hated the animated version. It also didn't help that ever since he made his dislike of them known, his stupid father had insisted on giving him something Hamtaro-related for every special occasion, all of which he had either discarded or given to Karupin as a chewtoy.

Another problem with the other boy's choice of the UFO catchers was the fact that Echizen actually _prided_ himself on being a pro at them. Just as Kentarou claimed, he also had a high success rate, always succeeding in catching what he wanted. Of course he would sometimes have to spend a good amount of money to do so, but he considered it a worthwhile sacrifice for the sake of maintaining his glory. Whenever he came to the ga-cen with Tezuka, they would spend a portion of their time in front of the machines. What he also enjoyed about the UFO catchers was that Tezuka _sucked_ at them. It never ceased to amaze him that for someone who seemed to effortlessly excel at most things he engaged in, such as academics and athletics, would at the same time perform so poorly when it came to purely recreational activities such as this. Even fishing, which was something he had done since he was a kid with his grandfather, Tezuka wasn't that good at as far as he was concerned. Of all the times he went fishing with the older boy, they only caught any fish once, and most of those they even had to toss back into the water for being too small.

When it came to the UFO catchers though, despite the fair amount of teasing Echizen heaped on the senior for how bad he was at them, Tezuka generally was a good sport about the matter, instead taking pleasure in challenging the freshman to capture prizes that were almost impossible to get. They usually gave the toys he got to his cousin Nanako or people at school, but once in a while, Tezuka did keep them, usually when it was an especially difficult item to grab. He didn't keep them prominently displayed anywhere in his bedroom, of course, but he did show Echizen the shelf in his closet where he kept them. It was another one of the senior's unexpectedly sentimental quirks, though Echizen definitely didn't mind that one at all. He saw them as trophies and was only pleased that Tezuka shared the same attitude.

As he stood by the side of the glass case of the UFO catcher and watched as the Rokkaku captain caught another plush toy—the third one of those stupid hamster things already, how many was this guy going for anyway?—he started thinking about the last time he was here with Tezuka. Of course they didn't waste time on this ridiculous machine. He glanced down the aisle and spotted the one with the cat-themed prizes three down. Because it was in the middle of the row, the two of them had to stand side by side in front of the machine, their proximity providing yet another aspect of enjoyment. They were also much more subdued than Kentarou, who was making so much noise he wondered if they would get kicked out. When he and Tezuka played, victory was only marked by a shared smile and that was enough.

The feeling of nostalgia, familiar by now, spiked through his mind like a hard and sharp jab, which physically manifested itself as a scowl that quickly darkened his features. His tolerance suddenly at a definitive end, he cut into Kentarou's vocalized joy of capturing yet another plush doll by demanding, "Hey, you done yet?"

Seeing the disgruntled look on Echizen's face, the Rokkaku freshman immediately cleared the cheer from his own and straightened up in concern. Wrongly assuming that Ryoma's displeasure was due to his neglect, he began to apologize profusely, "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Echizen-kun, I didn't mean to ignore you. All this time, I've been monopolizing the machine, I didn't even ask if you wanted to give it a try."

"I don't."

"Oh." Kentarou blinked in confusion as he racked his brain to determine why the freshman seemed even more cold than before. Looking down at the toy he held in his hand, he then glanced back up again with a hopeful smile and offered his latest conquest to the three that Echizen already held in his hands. "Here, one more for your collection, Echizen-kun. You're right, four is enough. They sure are cute, aren't they? I hope you like them."

Shaking his head, Echizen handed them back right away. "I don't want them. I was just holding them for you."

"What?!" Kentarou yelped. "But…but I got them for you!"

"I never said I wanted them."

"But you—"

"I hate Hamtaro."

"No way!" Kentarou cried in distraught. "Why didn't you say something?!"

"Who told you to get them for me in the first place?"

"But…but…I thought…." The Rokkaku freshman trailed off helplessly, his hand flailing at the machine uselessly as he mentally berated himself for his oversight. That's right, he didn't even ask Echizen, he just assumed. How stupid could he be? No wonder the other boy was upset with him. Stupid. Careless. He could practically hear the sound of dirt hitting the ground from the deep hole he was digging for himself. To think, during the entire time he was occupied in getting those useless prizes, his poor Echizen-kun was probably bored out of his mind. He was such an inconsiderate jerk.

At the clearly miserable expression on Kentarou's face, which resembled that of a kicked puppy, Echizen sighed inwardly and relented a little, though more out of weariness rather than sympathy. He stuck out his hands and said, "Here, just give them to me. My cousin likes them."

If Kentarou could sprout a tail, he would no doubt be wagging it now in hope. "Really? It's no problem, Echizen-kun, I could just keep them if you don't want them."

Ryoma shrugged. "Fine, keep them."

"No, no, I would much rather you give them to your beloved cousin! Here, here, can you fit them in your pockets? I can hold these two for you if you can't." It didn't matter who the toys were going to end up with, Kentarou was more than satisfied with the fact that not only was Echizen obviously trying to make him feel better, but that he was also willing to accept his measly gifts. Considering the downward spiral things were heading in the last half an hour, this at least showed there was still light at the end of the tunnel yet.

In fact, the next instant proved that his luck truly hadn't run out completely, because as they turned away from the UFO catchers, with Echizen fully intent on suggesting an end to their little excursion, the freshman's attention was caught by something at the opposite side of the room. It was the newest Mario Brothers arcade game, which wasn't here the last time he came. He had seen advertisements for it in the gamer magazines he's read and had been looking forward to its release. He probably would've noticed it sooner if he hadn't been initially distracted by Kentarou's obsession with the Hamtaro UFO catcher.

Looking in the same direction as where the freshman was staring, the Rokkaku captain ventured cautiously, "You like Mario Brothers, Echizen-kun?"

A shrug. "It's okay," he replied, even as he started to head that way, as if lured by the game's siren song.

Kentarou was about to open his mouth to chime in with his love and devotion to that game series but then clamped it shut right away as he was struck with a sudden thought. If Echizen wasn't right beside him, he would've smacked himself on the forehead with both hands at how slow he was at catching on today. He finally had an idea as to why the freshman was suddenly being so stand-offish! The fact that his companion's change in attitude started soon after lunch only further confirmed his suspicion. In his haste to impress and win favor, Kentarou couldn't believe that he had completely forgotten the simple fact that the object of his affection was another boy! Echizen was probably annoyed at his presumptuousness of taking the lead. Kentarou started in astonishment. He probably wounded Echizen's pride by even insisting on paying for his food! Even retracing the conversation they had on the way here, he practically winced at how he took charge of each topic and bulldozed over them with his opinions. Sure, he asked questions, but did he even give the freshman a decent chance to answer before turning the discussion back to himself again? Small wonder that the other boy decided to just shut down after listening to his pointless blathering!

To make matters worse, when they arrived here, he didn't even give Echizen the chance to decide what they should do. After all, didn't he basically force Echizen into playing—no, _watching_ him play—the UFO catcher! Kentarou hung his head shamefully. He's approached this from an entirely wrong direction right from the start, and after he had mentally prepared himself the night before. He couldn't believe that he had clear forgotten the simple fact that Echizen is a guy like himself, despite how unbelievably cute he is, and thus should be treated like one of his _equals_.

Of course Kentarou could not have known how far off the mark his conclusions were nor how much of them were simply a result of an overreactive imagination and a desperation to please, but since luck was on his side, his subsequent actions resulting from them still helped more than hurt him.

As soon as they were in front of the Mario Bros. game, Kentarou blurted out, "We should make this a contest!"

As if remembering he was still there, Ryoma glanced at him questioningly, his brows crinkling slightly. "Contest?"

"Yes!" Kentarou answered with renew vigor, "I challenge you, Echizen-kun!"

"Based on _what_?"

"Score of course! Who could get the highest score!"

The corner of Echizen's lips quirked up unconsciously. "Heh? You sound confident."

_He's smiling, he's smiling! _Kentarou rejoiced inwardly, wishing he could jump in joy that his new tactic was working. Already he could feel the atmosphere warming up once again. "Not really," he answered with a huge grin, "I haven't played this game either. But neither have you, right, Echizen-kun? So we're on equal grounds. I have a chance."

When Echizen hesitated, since he had really planned on just calling it a day, Kentarou immediately called out, "I challenge you, Echizen-kun! Since I couldn't do it on the tennis courts today, I challenge you here and now, in the ga-cen!"

He could easily have said no, gone home, and then just come back alone at a later time to play at his own leisure. But the bastard had to choose the perfect apple to dangle in front of him: naturally, Ryoma couldn't resist the thought of trouncing him in an arena outside of tennis. Oblivious to the fact that he had willingly fallen into the other boy's trap, the freshman gave a firm nod and replied, "You're on."

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"Aaah! I was so close!" Kentarou bemoaned, close to four hours later, when they finally exited the game center. He stretched and turned his upper body from side to side to work out the kinks in his muscles and then crossed his arms behind his head as he walked alongside Echizen.

"No you weren't," Ryoma pointed out, "You were off by more than a thousand points."

"That's a small percent compared to the total points!"

"A thousand points is still a thousand points."

"I was closer the first round," the Rokkaku captain reminded him.

"So you shouldn't have demanded a rematch. Two of them."

Kentarou chuckled. "The gap was so small! I was sure I could beat you."

"Obviously you can't." Echizen glanced up at him with a purposeful look. "In tennis, or at video games."

The other boy immediately feigned offense, pumping his fists while shouting indignantly, "Give me time! I demand a rematch! After I've practiced some, of course, but a rematch we must have!"

"Whatever," was the freshman's nonchalant response, though the effect was ruined somewhat by the grudging smile that ghosted his lips. He was feeling rather relaxed, his earlier unaccountable sense of annoyance having dissipated sometime in the past couple of hours as a result of some hardcore gaming. Kentarou had definitely managed to redeem himself in his eyes; he felt just as at ease as when he hung out with Momoshiro. Echizen couldn't even remember why he was so irritated with the other boy in the first place, enough so that he had even wanted to go home earlier. After such a rigorous gaming session, he was all wired up and ready to start on his training exercises now.

As a clock on a nearby bank building started chiming, Kentarou made a sound of surprise, having finally noticed the time. "Already 5! Time sure does pass by fast when one's enjoying themselves, isn't that right, Echizen-kun?"

Though Echizen only grunted response to that, Kentarou was relieved to see at least the other boy didn't seem so cold anymore. While he was looking in that direction, he couldn't help but let his eyes linger on the freshman's profile a little longer in admiration. He was just so cute! His features bordered on being pretty. There was a feminine quality to them that Kentarou found especially alluring. He almost couldn't stop himself from fawning out loud. When Ryoma suddenly turned to address him, the freshman captain instantly snapped his head back to facing forward, his cheeks coloring slightly at being caught staring. He hardly ever blushed, being quite bold on all matters for the most part, but it only made sense that his Echizen-kun would be the one capable of drawing out that kind of reaction from him.

"Hey, don't you need to take the train home to Chiba?" Echizen was asking him. "The station's that way."

"Hmm? Oh! It's no problem! I'll walk you home first, Echizen-kun!"

"Uh, you don't have to. You might miss the last train."

"But I want to! Don't worry, I still have time!" Kentarou hesitated, then ventured fretfully, "That is, unless Echizen-kun doesn't want me to?"

"Suit yourself. I just didn't want you to miss your train, that's all."

Kentarou almost sighed in relief but instead flashed a large, radiant smile. "I'm happy that Echizen-kun is concerned about me."

That was one thing that differentiated Kentarou from Momoshiro, that weird sycophantic quality. He noticed it from the start, but after spending so many hours with the guy, it become more and more obvious. Not that he shunned compliments in general, he just didn't care about them one way or another, having no need to feed off of other people's praise to feel satisfied with himself, as some people do. He did find Kentarou's ingratiating attitude oddly curious, however; he wondered where did the boy get the energy to maintain that kind of disposition. If he had to constantly tell people how happy they were that they did this and that for him, or thought of him, etc, he'd probably be too exhausted for anything else.

"Let's cut through the park then," he suggested, "it's faster."

Kentarou instinctively wanted to say that he didn't mind the longer way, but then decided against it, as the thought crossed his mind that the freshman may be tired. He reminded himself that he shouldn't be greedy; he already got to spend almost an entire day with Echizen, he should not ask for more.

As soon as they started going through the park, however, he was instantly glad that the freshman had made the suggestion. "What a nice atmosphere!" Kentarou marveled, his rose-tinted eyes further magnifying the already beautiful setting nature had to offer.

Echizen eyed him, the corner of his mouth tilting up in a smirk. "Don't you guys have parks in Chiba?"

Kentarou chortled. "Of course we do! But somehow, this park is just...better." He had no doubt that his present company had something to do with his impression as well. "Ah!" he exclaimed as he spotted something in the distance. "Are those ducks? I love ducks! Can we go see, Echizen-kun?"

Since the other boy had already started bounding over to the pond, Echizen had no choice but to follow. "Cute!" Kentarou marveled as he crouched down by the edge of the water. "Aren't they cute, Echizen-kun? I wish we could feed them!"

Having seen them plenty of times of course, Echizen at first remained standing as the other freshman continued to coo over the animals. When he realized the guy was probably not going to get up anytime soon, he eventually relented and lowered himself onto his knees next to him.

Delighted that the freshman was joining him, Kentarou turned to beam at him and then folded his legs beneath him to sit down as well. "You like ducks too, Echizen-kun?"

"They're okay."

Despite the neutral reply, Kentarou knew he guessed right; otherwise, the freshman would have demanded that they leave instead of sitting down beside him to watch. Pleased that he was provided with this precious glimpse to Echizen's softer side, he spent half of the time surreptitiously observing the freshman in admiration. Kentarou found that the more he looked at Echizen, the cuter he became in his eyes. Everything about him was cute. From his large eyes, long lashes, small mouth, pointed face, pixie haircut to his slender limbs and tiny frame. In fact, he was much cuter than many of the girls he's had crushes on or gone out with. Being so close to him in such a picturesque setting only caused the already warm feelings inside of the Rokkaku captain to bubble up to the surface in a demand for action. His heart began racing, and he soon forgot about the ducks, instead training his eyes on the boy next to him. If he had only been interested before, Kentarou realized he had now truly, completely fallen for the Seigaku freshman. He couldn't help it. The freshman was so unconsciously irresistible and adorable, he wondered why Echizen wasn't beating off admirers with a bat. Surely, he couldn't be the only person smart enough recognize his attractive attributes? What made him even more attractive was Kentarou's certainty that there was more sweetness and tenderness to him than his seemingly temperamental exterior seemed to indicate.

Meanwhile, oblivious to the volcano that was about to erupt beside him, Echizen was simply relishing the sudden peace and quiet, somewhat amazed that the other boy was even capable of shutting up for even a second. He wondered if the guy had finally grown tired of yapping or did he just wear out his own vocal chords. Either way, he was thankful for the momentary reprieve and decided he will give the guy five more minutes before getting up to go. Even though he usually enjoyed watching the ducks just as much as the Rokkaku freshman apparently did, since the last time he was here Tezuka was beside him, he was starting to feel yet another wave of longing wash over him, threatening to annoy him once again. Every time he missed Tezuka, he wanted to call the older boy and yell at him. He had no idea what he would say exactly, which was the sole reason why he hadn't done it yet, but the mere idea of chewing him out was satisfying enough. After all, Tezuka was to blame for creating this uncharacteristic sense of nostalgia within him; the senior was supposed to be the sentimental one, not him.

At that, Echizen began to think about the recent e-mails Tezuka had sent him. The weirdo had taken to sending him pictures of late, probably because he had teased the senior about his long, rambling messages. Truth be told, he actually didn't really mind Tezuka's penchant for writing essays instead of regular succinct messages. He rather enjoyed them, but because he liked the pictures even more, he decided to keep the truth to himself. Though the pictures mostly consisted of scenery instead of people, Tezuka not only took pictures of significant landmarks that he had visited, but also snapshots of his daily life: the room he was staying in, the interior of the institution, the campus, and the town where it was situated. Interspersed with these meaningful images were ones of seemingly random subjects which he thought Ryoma would find interesting or amusing: a plant with weird leaves, an exotic looking insect, a really fat black cat, a water can with a unique design, a tennis racket wrought with rust, and a picture of the sky cover with bloated clouds, just to name a few. It was like looking through the other boy's eyes and sharing his surroundings. That he enjoyed these images at all probably made him just as sentimental as Tezuka, but because Echizen was blissfully unaware of this fact, he was able to continue his appreciation of them.

Because his mind was preoccupied, Echizen didn't even notice that the boy beside him had started to close the space between them until Kentarou was already within his personal space and pressing his lips to the side of his mouth. Startled with the unexpected sensation, Echizen turned to face the other boy, inadvertently providing Kentarou with direct access to his lips. The full-on kiss lasted barely a second. When realization dawned on him, Echizen jerked back and slapped his hand against the other boy's forehead to forcefully push him away. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Echizen demanded testily, his eyes wide with astonishment. He couldn't believe what just happened: there was no warning whatsoever, no indication at _all _during the course of the entire day that it would lead up to this. _What the hell? _He repeated in his head as his mind furiously retraced its memories to see if there had been any _clue_ that the other boy was even interested in him in this way. Despite his conscious efforts, he came up with nothing.

Wincing, Kentarou rubbed his forehead with one hand and then in the next instant bowed his head low while apologizing fervently, "Sorry, Echizen-kun! I didn't mean to surprise you like that! I never meant for it to happen that way, I was hoping I could build up to it somehow, but then you're just sitting there, so cute, and the mood was too perfect…."

"Mood? What mood!"

Kentarou took a deep shaky breath, knowing that he probably just committed a grave error by acting on impulse yet hoping he could still repair the mistake somehow through honesty and his sincere feelings for the freshman. "I'm sorry, Echizen-kun. I lied," he admitted as he looked up at the other boy beseechingly.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes and inched away a bit more by leaning further back. "Lied about what?"

"The truth is," the boy took in another steadying breath, "I didn't happen to just be in the neighborhood today. I actually came just to see you."

"What?"

"Yes. I asked Fuji-san for your phone number and address with the full intention of inviting you out on a date."

"A _date_?" Ryoma repeated incredulously. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"Yes. But…but I chickened out when I was about to call you last night. I mean, I originally planned to just call you and ask you out properly, but then I was worried you'd say no. I figured, it probably would be best if I just show up and surprise you, give you the chance to know me better before deciding on whether or not you want to turn me down." He grimaced. "I know, I know, that was very cowardly of me, and I really regret that I had to lie to you, but I…" he scratched his head vigorously in chagrin, "…guess this is just too new for me. I mean, I've dated plenty of girls before—well, a handful at least since I really only started last year—but I've never liked a guy before so I got a little confused as to what I should do."

Despite the earnestness of his words, Echizen only curled up his lips and responded distastefully, "What in your confused, idiotic head made you think kissing me would be a good approach?"

Kentarou groaned. "I wasn't thinking! I mean, I was, but not consciously! I know that was rude of me…."

"Rude? That's an understatement. What made you think I was even at all interested?"

"Well, I asked Fuji-san if you might be interested in guys, and he said as far as he knew, you weren't _not_ interested."

_I'm going to kill Fuji-senpai,_ Ryoma thought with a mental snarl. "No, I mean, what would make you think I'm even interested in you?"

With a frown, Kentarou answered fretfully, "I hoped you would give me a chance. That perhaps, I could win you over."

Echizen squared his jaws and gave him a hard stare. "No."

Sitting up straight in dismay, the other boy immediately cried, "No? Please don't say that, Echizen-kun! Why? Why 'no'?"

"What do you mean 'why no'? Why would I say 'yes'?"

"Because…we barely know each other!"

Echizen was unmoved. "So?"

"So, so you're not even going to give me a _chance_? Was it because I kissed you without asking first?"

"That's one of the reasons."

"Eh?! There are others?!" Kentarou exclaimed, truly astounded. "But how?! We haven't even spent that much time together yet! What don't you like about me?" His mind began racing over the events of the day. "Is it because…because I'm too…dominating? Because I decided what we're gonna do without even asking your opinion first? I didn't mean to do that! I told you, I'm used to dating girls and they usually like me to decide on everything, so I kind of forgot that you weren't a girl and that I shouldn't do that." Kentarou gasped as he caught his faux pas. He tried to remedy it by hastily clarifying, "Not that I would ever mistaken _you_ for a girl, because I know you're a man like me, but much cuter of course, in fact, you're cuter than most girls I know, and so for a moment I forgot you weren't a girl and then when I did, I thought I made things better by treating you like a guy, and though I didn't mean to kiss you, once it happened, I figured, well, I'm a guy too and if I were a guy and someone wanted to ask me out, I would want them to be more assertive…."

"Hey, do you even _know_ what you're saying?"

"Ah geez! I don't! I'm making it worse, aren't I? I just…I know you're rejecting me, but I wish you'd reconsider! I mean, didn't we have fun today? Not to mention, even Momoshiro-san said we hit it off during the tournament. If it's because I kissed you, I promise I won't ever do that again until you let me."

"It's not going to happen again."

"Okay, okay, we don't have to, but you're still going to reject me?"

"Of course." Echizen looked at him in disbelief.

The Rokkaku freshman visibly deflated. "Can I ask why?"

"What's the point?"

"I don't know. I'm just…confused. I thought we were getting along so well."

"It shouldn't be a big deal, right? You barely know me too," Echizen's tone had unconsciously softened a little, the other boy's obvious distress must be having some effect on him.

"But, I already like you." Thankfully, despite the spirit of pleading, Kentarou's tone was mostly persuasive, devoid of any whininess, but still, Echizen cringed inwardly at such a bold admission. What's up with the guy? he wondered. Who decides that they like people this much this soon? Sheesh. What an impulsive idiot. "It can't be helped, okay?" he reiterated wearily. "I'm not going to like you. Ever."

Kentarou deflated even more. Though his pride was somewhat wounded, he was more bewildered by the apparent determination in the freshman's response. How can he be so sure there would be no possibility between them when their relationship was still at such a premature stage? Such instant certainty was frankly alien to him. He chewed on his lower lip in thought. His difficulty in grasping the possibility that the reason why Echizen didn't return his feelings might simply be due to the mere fact that he just didn't like him as a person wasn't bourn from ego, but rather from a difference in nature. He knew if it were him, if someone had confessed their feelings to him so blatantly and with such conviction and fervor, he would at least give them a chance, especially if he was open to that person's sex. Glancing up at Echizen again, he questioned cautiously, "And it's not because you like girls, right?"

"No," the freshman snapped, his reaction almost comical for how much it bordered on repulsion.

"Then…" Kentarou hesitated, frowning in frustration. All of a sudden, a notion occurred to him, as he recalled his conversation with Fuji last night. "Is it because…you already like someone?"

Though slightly caught off guard, Echizen made sure to keep his voice neutral as he replied, "Why would you think that?"

The other boy shrugged. "It was something Fuji-san said…."

His suspicion overcoming his caution, Ryoma instantly cut in with, "What did he say?"

Taking note of his reaction, Kentarou eyed him intently as he explained, "Nothing much, really. I just asked Fuji-san if you liked anyone, and instead of saying yes or no, he just said it's not his place to say. I tried to make him clarify what he meant, but he kind of just avoided my question. I didn't think too much of it at first, and eventually I figured if you did like someone, he probably would've just said yes, which means I still had a chance. But…" He braced himself, dreading the answer, "I take it, he did mean yes."

Echizen returned his look unabashedly. It really was none of his business, and he normally had no qualms about lying, but something in him made him pause a beat before responding in the negative and the quick hesitation was all it took for Kentarou to draw his own conclusions.

"Can I ask who he is?" the Rokkaku captain ventured.

"No." Even though he knew he had just contradicted his denial of such a person even existing, he didn't really care anymore. After all, so what if the guy knew he liked someone, unless one of the Regulars told him, he would never know who it is, and despite all their teasing, Echizen was at least confident that his senpais wouldn't tell. And since there was a chance that the Rokkaku freshman might be more persistent than he could anticipate, anything that would deter him shouldn't be a bad idea.

Deciding their exchange should come to a close, Ryoma got to his feet and brushed off the grass from his shorts; Kentarou followed suit, though he still didn't let up. "Is it someone I know?"

"What difference does it make?" Echizen countered none-too-gently.

"I guess it doesn't," the other boy admitted truthfully, "I'm just curious. I guess," Kentarou shook his head and laughed gently, "I just wanna know how I measure up to him. If I can, somehow, compete with him. You know, change your mind."

"You can't." Ryoma's tone was definite.

Kentarou blinked, taken aback by the certainty in his answer. "Really? Wow. He must be someone amazing. He must be someone like…I dunno…Tezuka-san or something." He paused and glanced up at the sky musingly, thereby missing the quick look Echizen shot him out of the corner of his eyes. "Though I can't imagine you with someone like Tezuka-san at all," he concluded.

The freshman had to bite his tongue from questioning him why, and then wondered if he should consider that an insult and who would it be directed at: him or the senior.

Kentarou went on to inquire, "And it's not Atobe-san from Hyotei, is it?"

Echizen practically recoiled at that. "Why would you even think that?" he demanded in disgust.

Kentarou couldn't help chuckling at his extreme reaction. "Gomen! I didn't know you disliked him that much."

"I do."

"Really? I think he's pretty amazing."

"Good for you."

"How about Tachibana-san of Fudomine?"

"No," Echizen shot him a look of incredulity, "Masaka. That's enough guessing, okay? Your guesses are getting more and more ridiculous."

A small stretch of silence ensued, which was broken when Kentarou sighed wistfully and confessed, "I feel like I don't want to give you up so easily, Echizen-kun."

"Give up," was the instant retort.

"Can't you even give me a hint as to who he is?"

"Hey, didn't I just say no more guessing?"

"I wasn't guessing, I was asking."

"No."

"Is he good at tennis too?"

Echizen didn't even bother dignifying that with a response, which only made Kentarou chuckle. "I know, I know, I'm only teasing. You know what, Echizen-kun, I think I like it when you get annoyed too."

"Shut up."

After another bark of laughter. "Still, I've got to say, I envy the guy, whoever he is. I wonder what his technique is."

"Technique?"

"Of course. Even though we've only spent a few hours together, I could already tell you're a hard person to win over, Echizen-kun. But to be able to not only to win you over, but to win your affection as well, that person must be something. He can't be anything _but_ amazing."

Echizen couldn't help the small smile that snuck up on his face, which he quickly cleared away lest the other boy caught it. With a tug to the edge of his cap, his only response to that was, "Mada mada dane."

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Please proceed to Part 2….


	19. Focus: Competition, Part II

**Rating:** Still G

**Focus: Competition, Part 2**

The next day, Echizen looked for the chance to have a few words with his Fuji-senpai. Though he kept his eyes on the older boy during morning practice, the perfect opportunity didn't appear until their afternoon practice, when Ryuzaki actually pit the two of them against each other in a practice match. Of course, as soon as he started focusing his attention on the game, his competitive spirit got the better of him, and thoughts of speaking to the senior were momentarily driven completely his mind. As a result, the game lasted through most of practice and would have probably gone beyond if Ryuzaki hadn't called an end to it. Commanding them to save their energy for when it really mattered, she then benched the two boys for the remainder of the time as a way of admonishing them for getting carried away. The two of them wound up sitting side by side alone, watching a doubles match that started up between the Golden Pair and Momoshiro and Kaidoh as they tried to cool down from their adrenaline rush.

"It was a good game," Fuji commented and took a long drink from his water bottle.

"Would've been better if a winner could've been decided," Ryoma groused, still smarting from the barking session they were subjected to by their coach for not having any sense of control. He never understood why the old lady wouldn't just let him and the senior play to the finish. The way she carried on about it, one would've thought that they were deciding the future of their tennis careers or something.

More understanding of their coach's underlying reasons, Fuji simply smiled and said appeasingly, "There is always a next time."

The freshman only grunted wordlessly at that. For the next few minutes, he silently watched his senpais play when finally he recalled what he had intended to do since this morning. In a purposefully indifferent tone, Echizen said, "Oh yeah, senpai, I almost forgot to thank you for yesterday."

Without removing his eyes from the game before them, Fuji inquired with equal ease, "Yesterday?"

"Kentarou of Rokkaku dropped by."

"I see." A beat. "You're welcome."

Echizen waited, expecting the other boy to say more. As the seconds ticked by and no further words were uttered, the freshman pursed his lips tightly as he debated whether or not to give in. He knew the senior was doing this intentionally, and usually, he would be just as good at holding out as the other boy. However, because his desire to address the issue and confront his senpai overcame his will to persevere, he was eventually forced to grumble, "You could've warned me, Fuji-senpai."

At that, Fuji turned to look at him, his head tilting to one side in an inquisitive expression. "Warn you? About what?"

Echizen shot him a pointed look. "You're saying you have no idea," his tone clearly stating that he wasn't buying the older boy's innocent act for one minute.

Despite the knowledge that he had won this round, Fuji decided to keep up the pretense for just a second longer for amusement. "I don't. Tell me."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Echizen leaned back against the fence and stated disapprovingly, "Senpai, stupidity doesn't become you. I thought only Kikumaru-senpai and Momo-senpai were prone to such childish pranks."

Fuji smiled pleasingly as he considered that. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Don't worry, I won't overestimate you again."

Laughing softly at the obvious displeasure on the younger boy's face, the senior finally relented and leaning back against the fence beside him, admitted truthfully, "I couldn't help it. I was curious about how'd you react to a situation like that."

Echizen narrowed his eyes at him. "So you did set it up on purpose."

Fuji shook his head. "Not at all. Kentarou-kun called me on his own to ask for your information; I simply provided him with it. If anything, I am guilty of foreknowledge. I had a feeling what his true intentions were. And, yes, I could have warned you."

"Hmmph."

When Echizen didn't say anything more, it was Fuji's turn to prod him gently with, "It wasn't too bad, was it? Kentarou-kun seemed quite earnest. I had hoped, for his sake, that it wouldn't be too bad for him."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have set it up that way," the freshman retorted with a sidelong glance in his way.

Fuji chuckled again. "That's mean. You make me sound like a monster." He looked at the younger boy carefully. "But, you've had admirers before, haven't you, Echizen-kun? I know you have a pretty decent fan-base. That could not have been the first time you've had to turn someone down."

"First time like _that_," was the muttered response.

Now the senior was genuinely curious. "Really? Would you mind sharing what exactly happened?"

Ryoma hesitated; he wasn't too keen on going into the details of what happened on Sunday. After all, if the older boy wanted to know that badly, he could always go and ask the Rokkaku freshman. And considering that it was basically his senpai's fault for the annoying situation he had to deal with, he decided wasn't obligated to tell him anything. He shrugged and then brought his arms up to fold behind his head. "Nothing," he finally responded, "Full rejection, of course. What'd you expect?"

"I guess nothing less. Though, I thought perhaps it could have gone in a different direction. A more platonic one."

"You knew of his intentions," Echizen pointed out.

"True, but I wasn't sure if he would go through with it. He didn't explicitly tell me he was going to confess to you on your first outing."

With eyebrows raised, his kouhai said, "A good thing he did, wasn't it? Otherwise, it would have dragged on for a longer time than necessary for what was essentially a prank. A stupid one at that."

Accepting the dig, Fuji chuckled again and argued affably, "It wasn't just a prank. As I've mentioned, part of it was motivated by curiosity."

"For what purpose? I doubt that's gonna help you on the court against me. Last time I checked, that was more Inui-senpai's thing, not yours."

Fuji nodded. "You're right. I fully accept your admonishment, Echizen-kun. I apologize sincerely. I intend to call Kentarou-kun tonight and apologize to him as well."

The senior's abrupt about-face and blatant admission of fault left Echizen somewhat dissatisfied. He regarded his senpai quizzically and asked, "Why _were_ you curious?"

"I just was. Is that surprising"

"A little. That just seemed…so…beneath you. I thought maybe…." Ryoma stopped, struggling to find the right words.

"Yes?" Fuji urged.

"That…that maybe you were testing me, somehow?"

That wasn't the answer the tensai had expected. "Testing? Testing what?"

"I don't know. That just popped into my head."

After a moment's consideration, Fuji suggested, "Do you mean if I were testing to see if you would give into temptation?"

Echizen wrinkled his nose, as if he just caught a whiff of some foul smell. "You call _that_ temptation?"

The older boy laughed softly. "Poor Kentarou-kun. Either way, no, I wasn't testing you. Tezuka trusts you, I'm sure, and I have no right to question your relationship with him in that aspect. I wasn't acting on his behalf." He paused and then inquired, "Do you plan to tell him?"

Echizen frowned in confusion. "Tell who what?"

"Tezuka, of course. About Kentarou-kun."

Still baffled, the freshman asked, "Why? I'm supposed to?"

"No, of course not. It's entirely up to you. I was simply wondering."

They fell silent again, as Echizen mused over Fuji's question. He couldn't help but be a bit troubled by the fact that the thought of telling Tezuka hadn't even crossed his mind. He didn't think there was much to tell, but maybe there was some sort of obligation involved that made it a necessity to let Tezuka know whenever something like this happened. He was tempted to ask Fuji about it and went so far as to actually look over at the tensai with the intention to do so. In the end, however, he held his tongue. He had the feeling the older boy would probably just offer him some cryptic response that would only perplex him even more rather than providing any help. He had come to expect that from his Fuji-senpai, and he was actually a bit surprised that the boy had given him any kind of straightforward answer during their conversation.

Echizen didn't really like that enigmatic quality of his senpai's personality, which made him difficult to read and even trust completely. While he knew that Fuji was the last person he had to ever worry about divulging personal secrets—such as his relationship with Tezuka—he was also the last person he would turn to, to talk about personal matters. Ryoma always thought his warm and easy-going exterior was a means of masking a shrewd and calculating interior. He knew that like his Inui-senpai, nothing escaped his Fuji-senpai's eyes either, but while Inui made his motivations for acquiring the information blatantly clear, the other boy's intentions were rather ambiguous. Even though Echizen didn't detect any malice from Fuji, he knew that the mysterious aspect to his character would prevent him from growing close to the senior. Not that he minded: he wasn't one clamoring for friends anyway and they already shared a good enough relationship as senpai and kouhai, and as teammates. Simultaneously, he was well aware that Tezuka did count Fuji as one of his closest friends, even though the young captain had never come straight out and state it. He wasn't bothered in the least by that fact, but he did wonder about it every time he was reminded of the matter.

As if to further emphasize how enigmatic he could be, Fuji suddenly mused out loud, "Although, now that I think about it, perhaps I was motivated by something else."

Unsure of what he was talking about, Ryoma could only respond with, "Eh?"

"I guess you could call it a sense of vindictiveness, though I wish I was above that."

"Why? What'd I do?"

Fuji stared at him briefly before turning back to face the front with his eyes opened all the way. He lifted his shoulders and replied, "You got something I wanted for a long time."

"I did? What is it?"

The tensai only closed his eyes and shook his head. "Mmm. I guess I shouldn't blame you completely. You didn't even try that hard, so, perhaps it was just meant to be."

Ryoma frowned at him and stated, "Senpai, I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

"Don't worry about it," were the senior's last words on the matter.

_Does he mean the Regular spot? _Echizen wondered. But then that wouldn't make much sense, considering Fuji was also a Regular, and even got placed in a higher position than he was in the line-up most of the time.

When he couldn't figure out what his senpai meant even by the time Ryuzaki called game-set-match for his senpais' game, Echizen decided to just give up. Who knows what kind of weirdness went on in Fuji's head; there was no point in wasting his energy playing such a pointless guessing game. With a final shrug, he simply muttered a nonchalant, "Will do," before closing his mind on the matter.

O  
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After practice, as he headed home with Momoshiro, what did linger in his mind was Fuji's earlier question about whether or not he was going to mention to Tezuka about what had conspired between Kentarou and him. Echizen didn't like the fact that he was still even thinking about that issue, except that it continued to bother him for some reason. To add another wrinkle to the problem, now that he was aware of the possibility that he should be mentioning the matter to Tezuka, he wondered if in the end, he chose not to, would that be considered as keeping a secret from the older boy? He didn't mean to keep it as a secret, of course; he personally didn't even see the incident as being significant enough to be categorized as a secret. But then again, if something like that was indeed trivial enough to be dismissed, why would Fuji even ask him if he was going to tell Tezuka at all? Should he simply chalk that up to the mystery that was his senpai?

The more he thought about it, the more confounded he began, not to mention irritated as well. What was happening to him? He never used to think about an issue for more than a minute, if that, but these days, he was becoming as bad as his Momo-senpai, who had the tendency to harp on something endlessly.

The thought of his senpai gave Echizen the idea of asking him about the matter. Though prone to overreacting, the second year was also in some ways more dependable and trustworthy than anyone else he knew—other than Tezuka of course. Perhaps his impression was due to the fact that next to Tezuka, Momoshiro was really the only other person he spent a huge amount of time with: in addition to walking home together all the time in Tezuka's absence, he also hung out with the second year after school and even on various weekends, though many times by force rather than choice. Momoshiro often dragged him out of bed to go with him to the movies or to the park courts when he couldn't find anyone else. Therefore, Momoshiro was probably the only person whom the title of 'friend' wouldn't be a gross exaggeration, even if by default.

As a result, even though Echizen already mentally braced himself for the reaction he would get from the older boy, he still interrupted Momoshiro's current tirade on the doubles game he'd just lost to ask, "Neh, Momo-senpai, do you think I should tell Tezuka that Kentarou of Rokkaku tried to ask me out?"

Caught in mid-sentence, Momoshiro didn't respond right away, instead he just stopped in his tracks and stared at the freshman with his mouth agape, as if Ryoma had just spoken in a different language. When at last his words finally sunk in, the taller boy drew back in shock and screeched, "EEEEH?!"

Though the reaction was what he'd expected, Echizen still rolled his eyes while saying grumpily, "It's no big deal, Momo-senpai."

"No-no big DEAL?!" his senpai practically yelled. Echizen instinctively glanced around them, grateful that they were the only ones on the street at the moment. "The guy tried to ask you out on a date!" He suddenly stopped and eyed Echizen suspiciously. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. You were with him yesterday. Don't tell me, that-that was the date?"

"No." Echizen scowled. "That was just…nothing. He asked me out at the end. Actually, he just asked _if_ we could date."

"What? What? You're kidding me? What'd you say?"

"No, of course," the freshman was slightly offended. "What'd you think, senpai?"

"Ah, nothing. Of course, you'd turn him down. Stupid of me," the other boy breathed, clearly relieved.

Echizen examined the boy curiously. "Why're you so relieved, Momo-senpai?"

"Of course I am! Since Tezuka-buchou's not here, we're responsible for keeping an eye on you! What kind of person would I be if I let someone just steal you from him right under my nose? It wouldn't be right, wouldn't be right."

Given such an answer, the freshman wasn't sure if he should be amused or offended. "'Steal me'? I'm not some commodity. You guys don't have to keep an eye on me."

"Of course we do! The fact that you're our kouhai aside, you're also Tezuka-buchou's…" the second year waved his hand meaningfully, "…you know. It's our duty to protect you."

"'Duty'?" Echizen smirked, deciding that he was more amused than not. The silly ideas his senpais sometimes cooked up in their heads were nothing short of astounding. He suspected that Momoshiro and Kikumaru were probably the only two people who were serious about the stupid notion of protecting him in Tezuka's stead.

"So, is that all?" Momo was saying, "He asked and you just rejected him, right?"

Echizen twisted his lips in uncertainty, the image of what preceded the Rokkaku's captain's declaration instantly popping into his head. Noticing the small hesitation, the other boy right away demanded, "What? Something else happened? What? What?"

"Calm down, senpai." Echizen rubbed the bridge of his nose absently with a finger and then replied as matter-of-factly as he could manage, "He did…kind of…kiss me."

"WHAT?!"

Sighing, Ryoma stuck a finger in his ear that was closest to the second year and wriggled it to try to revive his deafened eardrum. "Momo-senpai, stop yelling already," he said wearily.

"Stop—stop yelling?? You just told me you kissed the guy!" The other boy's eyes were in danger of popping out of their sockets.

"_I_ didn't _kiss_ him. _He_ kissed _me_. I was caught off guard."

"Where? The hand? The cheek? Kami-sama, don't tell me, the-the m-mouth?"

Knowing he should probably just lie, Echizen instead answered, "Mouth."

Momo's jaw dropped again like a ton of weights. In the next second, however, he clamped his mouth shut with a snap, his demeanor immediately transforming from shock to indignation. "Hey, tell me something. How is it that both you and that Rokkaku kid, who are _younger_ than me, have gotten farther with each other and with others than I ever have with _anybody_?" he demanded, punctuating every other word by jabbing his index finger at the freshman.

Echizen starred at him blankly. "How should I know?"

Momoshiro practically pouted in displeasure. "Somehow, that just doesn't seem fair."

"Hey, senpai, focus a bit, will you? So, should I tell him or not?"

"Tell who what?"

"Masaka. Tell Tezuka about Kentarou of Rokkaku. Fuji-senpai asked me if I was going to tell Tezuka so I was wondering."

"Fuji-senpai knows about it too?!"

"No," Echizen said impatiently, "Not about everything. Just that Kentarou wanted to ask me out." He looked at the other boy intently. "You're not going to go tell the others, are you?"

Momo ran a hand through his spiky hair. "I want to," he admitted reluctantly, "but I won't if you don't want me to."

"I don't want you to."

"Then I won't, don't worry. You have my word."

"And?"

"And what?"

Echizen expelled a breath forcefully, his already paper thin patience wearing even thinner. "Should I tell Tezuka or--?" he practically bit out.

"Right! That. Of course you should! It's one thing if you just said no to someone asking you out, but if the guy also made a move on you, then of course you have to tell him."

"But why?"

"Why? Why _not_? If someone made a move on _my_ girlfriend…"

Echizen instantly cut in with, "I'm _not_ his girlfriend. I'm _not _a girl, senpai"

The taller boy tsked and waved his hand dismissively. "I know _that_, I'm just _saying_, for example, if you were my girlfriend—"

"Why girlfriend? Tezuka could be the girl for all you know," Echizen argued, even though he was in the danger of giving out too much information.

Momo shuddered and held up a hand in pleading. "Please, I don't want to know. I know enough already. Humor me, no matter what the truth is." He shuddered again, not wanting to think of his esteemed captain in that light, especially in relation to Echizen. "As I was saying, if that were to happen to my…_koibito…_I would want to know. As a man I would want to know."

"But why?" the younger boy insisted stubbornly. "Somehow, that doesn't sound right to me."

"Because! If someone's stepping into my territory, I'd want to know who that bastard is so I can keep an eye out for him."

"And then what? Nothing really happened so what's the point? Wouldn't it just make you all worked up, senpai? Look how worked up you are now and it doesn't even have anything to do with you."

"Of course it does! I already said—"

"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time. My point is, I think if it were me, I wouldn't want to know."

"So you're not going to tell Tezuka?"

"I don't know. Haven't decided yet."

"Then why the heck are you _arguing _with me? You asked me what I thought and I'm telling you: you should tell him! The captain's not even here to defend himself against intruders like that. It's only right to warn of the danger."

"That's a rather extreme analogy, isn't it, Momo-senpai?"

"It's appropriate." Momo pointed a finger at him to emphasize his point. "Tell him. He needs to know."

Echizen pursed his lips before saying slowly, "I'll think about it."

O  
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Though he still didn't think the situation was as critical as the second year made it out to be, because Momoshiro further nurtured the seed of uncertainty in his head, Echizen decided in the end to just call Tezuka. After mulling it over some more, he realized that was probably the easiest thing to do in order to get the matter out of his head once and for all. As he listened to the line ringing through, he wondered how to even bring up the subject. The ideas that came to his head only served to reiterate how silly the whole thing seemed. He was close to just hanging up when Tezuka finally answered. Surprised at receiving a phone call from him, the senior greeted him by reminding him, "We weren't supposed to talk on the phone anymore, remember?" He paused for a beat before asking, "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I just had something I wanted to ask you."

"I see. But then, why don't you hang up and I'll call you back with my phone card? I don't want your dad to yell at you again because of the bill."

"Don't worry, this won't take long."

"Are you sure because I have the phone card?"

"Yes, yes," Echizen assured him brusquely. "It'll be quick."

"If you say so," from the senior's tone, it was obvious he still had some misgivings on the matter. Instead of pursuing it further he said, "So? What is your question?"

"Kentarou of Rokkaku asked me out. On a date."

A brief silence filled the line. Echizen wasn't sure if it was because Tezuka didn't hear him properly, or if the other boy was just confused because he didn't exactly ask a question. He had intended to broach the subject by bringing it up in the form of a question, but at the last minute, he decided to just get to the point.

Finally, Tezuka gave his response. "Date?"

"Yeah, he dropped by yesterday and asked me to hang out with him, and I didn't even know that's what he wanted until the end of the day. The moron kind of just sprung it on me." Echizen paused a second before remembering to add, "Oh yeah, and I guess I should tell you too that he kissed me too."

When Tezuka didn't immediately answer once again, the freshman prompted him with, "Hey, you still there?"

"Yes, I am," the senior sounded rather stunned. Though Echizen did not have any preconceived notions of how Tezuka would react to the news, he did wonder why the senior seemed slower on the uptake than usual. "So, you're saying," Tezuka was currently saying, "he asked you out and kissed you, after you spent the day together?"

"Right."

"I see." More silence; when Tezuka spoke again, he inquired haltingly, "Are you…are you telling me because you agreed to his…invitation? Because you want to…end…"

Since the senior trailed off, it took Echizen a second to figure out what the other boy was getting at. When he did, he immediately exclaimed, "Wrong! What are you, stupid? Of course I said no! Idiot! I wasn't telling you because I wanted to break up or anything! I just told you because that stupid person Momo-senpai said I should! 'Taku, what are you_ thinking_?" Despite his strong words, Echizen was aware that his heart was beating loudly and his grip on the phone had tightened so hard that his fingers were actually going numb. It occurred to him at the moment that he had actually uttered the words, 'break up', which he had always considered to be terribly melodramatic but somehow, the phrase just popped into his head automatically during his rant.

Tezuka sighed, his relief palpable even over the phone. "Sorry, I just thought, because you said…I misunderstood."

"You sure did, idiot. Why would you even think that?"

"I don't know," the older boy answered honestly. "Perhaps because I'm here and you're over there, and we haven't seen each other for weeks."

"Still." Echizen blew out a harsh breath of air. "I knew this was a stupid idea."

"No, I do appreciate your telling me," Tezuka chuckled softly, "Though there's really not much I could do about it from where I am. And, as you mentioned, you did let him down, right?"

"Of course."

"Then, there's nothing for me to worry about."

"You're not jealous then?" Ryoma queried inquisitively.

"I should be?" the senior sounded genuinely surprised.

"Momo-senpai was worried you might be."

Tezuka considered that briefly before saying, "I don't think I am. At least, I don't feel anything like that. I don't think I've ever been jealous of anyone in general. How about you?"

"What? About you? You never had anything like that happen to you before, right?"

"Not like that."

Echizen narrowed his eyes as he asked, "What do you mean? _Something_ like that has happened?" He knew Tezuka had his fair share of admirers at school and when he was on the courts, but he had a feeling the older boy wasn't talking about his relatively harmless fans, who usually only offered silly love notes or bento boxes.

Tezuka hesitated. "I was only asked out on the phone."

"That's all?" the younger boy wrinkled his forehead. "That's nothing. Why would I be jealous of _that?_"

"Ahem. It's not so much the means, but rather, _the person_ who asked."

"Who are—?" Echizen started to say when a name leapt to his head and he instantly blurted out incredulously, "The monkey king!"

The senior cleared his throat again. "Yes."

"That—that stupid monkey bastard asked you out? When was this?"

"Right after the Hyotei tournament."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"There wasn't much to tell. I turned him down, of course, so I didn't think much of it afterwards." Tezuka paused briefly. "You…you sound upset."

"Of course I am! I can't stand that guy."

"I see. I should apologize then. I really didn't think it was important enough to mention to you."

Ryoma frowned. Part of him did agree with Tezuka, something like that was hardly worth a mention, but another part of him couldn't help being annoyed at the fact that the monkey bastard would attempt something like that. Who did that guy think he was?

"If it wasn't Atobe, and it was someone else, would you react the same way?" Tezuka was currently asking.

Echizen thought about it for a minute before replying, "Probably."

"Really? Why?"

"I just don't like people…getting into my stuff without permission, I guess."

"Your stuff?" Tezuka repeated, rather bemused.

"You know what I mean. Anyway, the monkey king aside—who clearly has issues to begin with—who else would be interested in you? Seriously. You're like a stuffy old man. Not everyone is as tolerant and generous as I am."

"I have admirers," Tezuka pointed out, feigning offense.

"That's because they only know what they see on court. Off the court, you're about as fun as a box full of folded socks."

"Brat," the senior admonished, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the smile evident in his voice. "So, how did it feel?" he questioned after a while.

"How'd what feel?"

"When Kentarou of Rokkaku kissed you. Did you…feel anything?"

"Of course not. It happened so fast and I was so surprised, by the time I realized what the heck he was doing, I'd already shoved him away."

Tezuka chuckled. "Somehow, I feel a little sorry for him."

"Him? What for? I'm the one who had to deal with him."

"Exactly," the senior teased gently.

"Hmmph. Nice of you, buchou."

After chatting for a little while more, Tezuka eventually had to bring their conversation to a close, as he reminded Echizen with some regret, "You should probably go. Your father, remember? I'll talk to you in e-mail."

"It hasn't been that long. Or," he chortled wickedly, "if you want to call back with your phone card, I can return the favor from the last time we talked on the phone."

Not grasping the reference at first, Tezuka asked puzzledly, "Last time?"

"I could read to you this time. I have a Literature assignment I need to complete."

When at last he grasped what the freshman was getting at, Tezuka could be heard chuckling into the phone and then muttering with affection, "You really are a brat," before hanging up.

Echizen grinned and flopped back onto his bed to stare at the ceiling. He was somewhat relieved that the potential crisis was averted and he could now stick this whole incident in the back of his memory bank, to be eventually forgotten completely. Though Kentarou had texted him last night to once again apologize, to which he had simply sent a curt reply, he doubted he would ever have to deal with the guy again except perhaps when they bumped into each other at the Nationals.

He could only hope that the same luck would hold when it came to the monkey king of Hyotei.

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**Author's Notes**: And the saga will continue…hopefully soon. Most of you have brought up the concern about whether or not I plan to finish the story any time soon, and so I just want to assure you, though it may take me an eternity to update, I don't have plans to end the story just yet. If that day should come, I will make my intentions perfectly clear. So please don't worry!


	20. Focus Extra I: Tea with the Girls, Extra

**Author's Notes: **I would like to dedicate this chapter to my dear beta-reader Zen Nat, for her endless patience and support and for not giving up on me even when I've been MIA forever. Thanks, Zen Nat, m'dear!

And thank you too to all of you who also haven't given up on me even though I update at a snail's pace. Thank you thank you and sorry sorry!!

**Rating**: …hmm, R-ish….?

**Focus Extra: Tea with the Girls, Extra**

"Ryoma, I think the yukata might be too small for me."

"Of course it is; it wasn't meant for you."

"But, it's too short, and a bit tight…."

"Don't worry about it. Here, the obi will help…why do they have to make these things so long?"

"Would you like me to do it?"

"Heh? You know how girls tie their obis?"

"Of course not. We have to do it the girls' way?"

"I guess we don't…wait a minute...let me think, Fuji-senpai…did it on the front…then moved it to the back…crap, it won't work. Too tight."

"The bow looked nice. Why don't you just tie it on the back to begin with?"

"Yeah…there. Close enough. Sit down, Tezuka."

"All right…you bought those?"

"Of course. You expect me to ask my mom or cousin if I could borrow their cosmetics?"

"N-no. We could have done without them."

"Hn. You wish."

"But…you only wore lipstick. Why do I have to put anything on my eyes?"

"Because. I wanna see how you look. And didn't you say you don't mind being a girl?"

"Erm…I didn't mean it quite this literally."

"Too late for that now, buchou. Now open your mouth a little…(_brief silence_)…what's with that look?"

"Hmm?"

"Your eyes were smiling."

"You can tell?"

"By now, I can practically read you like a book."

"Really? I'm glad." (_kiss_)

"Hey, you just got lipstick on my wrist."

"Sorry." (_kiss_)

"Stop that. What did I just say? Now take off your glasses and close your eyes."

"We can't just leave it like this?"

"No. Close your eyes…(_brief silence_)…there. No, don't open them yet. I still have this stuff."

"Uh…Ryoma, are you sure you know how to apply that?"

"I just use this like a comb for your lashes, right? Can't be that hard."

"…"

"Don't worry; I'm not gonna poke your eyes out. Now close…wait, why are there clumps on this…?"

"What?"

"The mascara's clumpy. Hand me a tissue. Okay. Close your eyes again."

"Where did you learn to do this?"

"On tv. Hmm…I don't think it's working for you."

"I think you wiped most of the ink off already."

"It had clumps in it. Here, let me try again…hn. I don't understand the purpose of mascara. Forget it."

"May I see myself now?"

"No, not yet. I still have these."

"Wh-why did you get so many of them?"

"I just felt like it. What?"

"Ryoma, there are…at least ten hair clips altogether. You're not going to use all of them, are you?"

"Why not?"

"That's a bit…excessive, don't you think? You only wore one bow."

"So?"

(_Tezuka sighs_) "I'm beginning to have second thoughts."

"Hmmph. At least you're not being gawked at by everyone within the Kantou region."

(_Tezuka chuckles_) "Not everyone was there."

"Close enough! Not to mention, there are still pictures of me floating around at school. Didn't I say no pictures?"

"We did make that quite clear."

"Obviously, that wasn't enough. (_pause_ And don't think I don't know."

"Know?"

"You have one too, don't you?"

"One?"

"Or some, whatever. You're a bad liar, buchou. I know you have pictures of me from the stupid festival. Someone gave it to you, didn't they?"

(_brief silence_) "…how did you know?"

"Ha! You _do_ have some!"

"I see. You're the liar."

"You're just too easy. Tell me, who gave them to you?"

"…I can't."

"Why not?"

"Sorry. I promised that person I wouldn't."

"Was it Fuji-senpai?"

(_silence_)

"It was Fuji-senpai, wasn't it? Figures."

"No, it actually was not, but that is all I will say."

"Then who?"

"Ryoma, I promised…."

"I know it's not Momo-senpai, he didn't have the chance. Inui-senpai? Was it Inui-senpai?"

"Ryoma…."

"Hmmph. I'll just ask them myself. Okay, I'm done." (_pause_)…(_snort_)…(_stifled laughter_)

"Stop laughing. Let me see….oh. (_brief silence_) This is…horrible."

(_Ryoma continues to laugh_) "I'd say. You look so ridiculous!"

"Wasn't that to be expected?"

"I know, but…(_more laughter_)…I didn't think you'd look this bad. You look worse than Momo-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai combined! You make one ugly girl."

"Thank you. And isn't that really your fault? This is your handiwork after all."

"Whatever. I could only do so much."

"Brat. All these clips look ridiculous."

"That's the least of your problems, buchou…(_pause_)…Actually, shouldn't you be glad you look awful? I hated it when people said I looked cute."

"That is true…(_pause_)…the yukata is really too short."

"Hmm? Actually, I think it's perfect."

"Perfect?...(_chuckles_)…am I a bowl of milk?"

"Eh?"

"That look on your face. You look like a cat eyeing a bowl of milk."

"Do not."

"Yes, you do. You're leering."

(_Ryoma snorts_) "Don't flatter yourself. You're looking in the mirror, right?"

"All right. Then I'll change."

"Haa? Already? Why?"

"Since you're obviously not interested, I might as well change."

"Hmmph. Now who's being a brat?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Heeh, for that…I'm going to…where's my bag?"

"Hmm? By the door."

"Ah, there it is."

"What are you looking for?"

"This." (_click_)

"Wha—? Stop. No pictures."

"That's what you get. Move your hand."

"No."

"Tezuka. Move your hand."

"Give me your phone."

"No."

"Then no."

"Hey, you have pictures of _me_."

"I didn't take them."

"But you have them, so now I should have some of you as well."

"I'm changing."

"No! Tezuka, stop!"

"I refuse."

"Che, you're no fun. (_pause_)Hey, if you don't stop, I'm going to send this to the senpais."

"You will not."

"Are you daring me?"

"I am threatening you."

"Heeh, with what?"

"Echizen, give me your phone."

"No."

"Echizen…."

"You don't scare me." (_click_)

"All right."

(_Ryoma gasps loudly and then laughs_) Hey! Resorting to violence, captain? Some—(_breathless laughter_)—role model you are!"

"Phone."

"Ouch!"

"What? Did I hurt you?"

(_Ryoma chuckling_) "Heh, you're so gullible, Kuni-chan."

"You…hand it over, brat."

"No! What are you…get off me, idiot."

"No."

"So, what? You're just gonna sit on me until I give up?"

"Yes."

"What a stupid plan."

"I can sit here for as long as it takes."

"You look even worse close up, buchou."

"I'm glad."

(_brief silence_) "Actually, stay here."

"Ryoma, what…(_chuckle_)…what do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm sticking my hand under your robe."

"That's very bold of you, Ryoma-sama."

"See, I told you the yukata's perfect."

(_Tezuka chuckles_) "You sound almost lecherous."

"Yuck. Don't use that word. That reminds me of the old man."

"Nanjiroh-san isn't that bad."

"Ugh, are we really going to talk about that idiot right now?"

(_Tezuka chuckles again_) "Sorry."

"Yeah. Come here."

(_kissing_)

"…sst!"

"Oh, sorry. My hand got caught in your hair."

"Can we remove the clips now?"

(_Ryoma chuckles_) "Fine." (_pause, then another laugh_)

"What?"

"Tezuka, your face is a mess. You got lipstick all over your face."

"Really. Oh. Yours too."

"Here, give me your sleeve."

"Wait, Ryoma, it might not wash off."

"So? You're planning to wear this thing again?"

"Of course not."

"Then?"

"Um…."

"_I'm_ not wearing it again. This makes us even. Not that I mind if you do…."

"We're even."

"Heh. Thought so. Tsk. Now the stupid mascara's all smeared…."

"Um, Ryoma…."

"Oh, sorry. I'm rubbing too hard?"

"Just a little."

"There. Now you look normal. Continue."

"Yes."

(_kissing_)

(_more kissing_)

"Wait, Tez…."

"Mmmm?"

"I'm supposed to get even, right? Switch. I should be on top."

(_Tezuka chuckles_) "Not that I mind, but what about yesterday and the day before?"

"You weren't dressed up then, so it doesn't count. Move."

"Yes, Ryoma-sama."

(_shifting sounds_)

"Okay, now you may continue."

(_Tezuka laughs_)

(_kissing_)

(_more kissing_)

(_Tezuka gasps_) "Ryo-Ryoma…."

"Hmm. I'm getting even completely."

"Ryo—hnnh!...(_a gasp_)…nnnh…ha…ha…Ryommm….(_panting_)…."

"Mmm…."

"…hunnh…(_moans_)…Ryo-Ryoma…(_loud gasp followed by heavy panting_)…."

"…should I finish you?"

"…hnnh…."

(_Ryoma chuckles_) "Okay."

(_Tezuka groans_) "…mmmnh…ha!…(_more groans, now muffled_)…."

"…close?"

(_muffled_) "Mmmn…!"

"Heh…."

(_Tezuka groans and pants continuously, then finally a loud, muffled shout_)

(…)

(_Ryoma coughs_ _twice_)

(_Tezuka panting_, _no longer muffled_) "Sor-sorry."

(_Ryoma chuckles_) "Baka." (_kiss_)

(_more kissing_)

"Mmm…(_more kisses_)…Ryoma, your turn."

(_kissing_)

"Tezuka, lift your knees."

"Yes." (_Tezuka gasps_)

"Sorry…I'm…close…."

(_Tezuka chuckles_) "It's all right."

"Good." (_Ryoma groans_)

(_pants_)

(_moans_)

"Tez-zuka…."

_(Tezuka moans_) "Ryoma…."

(_Ryoma panting_) "…Tez…uhn…."

(_more pants and groans_)

(…)

"Tezuka…Tezuka…." (_kissing)_

(_more moans_)

(_loud pants_)

"Tez…huh-uuunh!" (_Ryoma groans loudly_)

"Ryomm…Ryoma…."

(_heavy breathing_)

(…)

(_kissing_)

(_soft breathing_)

(_brief silence_)

(_Tezuka sighs_)

(_Ryoma chuckles_) "I agree."

(_Tezuka chuckles, then pauses_) "Hmm…what's this?"

"Hmm?...(_beat_)…Crap. I forgot about that."

"Mmm…horrible picture."

"Yes, but I still want it. Don't delete it. Or else."

"Or else?"

"Just else."

(_Tezuka chuckles_) "That's scary."

"Jerk. Give me back my phone."

(_silence_)

"What?"

"Ryoma, can we take a picture together?"

"Huh? Now?"

"Yes. You don't want to?"

"No…I don't mind, but why?"

"I just realized we've never taken a picture together."

"Are you kidding? We have too. There was the one Fuji-senpai took, and some from Germany, and the ones at the camp, and someone probably took some at the festival, bastards…."

(_Tezuka chuckles_) "No, I mean, we never took one by ourselves."

"What difference does it make?"

"You know, one where you are actually smiling."

"Oh. Hmmph. Well that's because the senpais were being stupid every time."

"But now there's just the two of us. I'd like…to have one like that. Where you're smiling."

"Heeh…(_chuckles_)…Buchou, you're so corny."

"If you don't want to, though…."

"Baka. I said I don't mind but…you really want to take one while we're like this?"

"N-no. Of course not. We should get dressed."

"And you should go wash your face. Your eyes are still smudged."

"Right."

"Hey, you're going to wear that thing out? What if your grandparents come upstairs?"

"Ah. Did you see my shirt?"

"I don't know. Just get a new shirt from your drawer."

"Oh. Right."

"Hey, pants, pants."

"Yes. All right. I'll be right back."

"Wait, Tezuka, bring me a wet towel too so I can clean up."

"Anything else?"

"No, that's all. Just don't forget the towel."

(_Tezuka chuckles_) "Yes, sir."

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"Where should we take it?"

"Mmm, we could just sit next to the bed. It'll only be our faces anyway."

"All right."

"Neh, buchou, you want me to put my head on your shoulder and then smile? So we can be especially lovey-dovey."

"Hmmph. Brat."

(_Ryoma chortles_) "Okay. Ready? Smile, buchou."

"You too."

"1, 2, 3…." (_click_)

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**Author's Notes: **I've always wanted to write a straight dialogue piece for Tezuka and Ryoma so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to do so since I can't bring myself to describe Tezuka cross-dressing in full detail. I know he'd look smashing (I've seen some wonderful fanarts proving that point), but haha, I just don't want to imagine it too hard. So to Zen Nat and others who have requested this scenario, I'm sorry, I hope you don't mind my cheating. (wink)


	21. Focus: His Pillar of Support

**Author's Note: **I open this chapter by saying this grace: Thank you for all you wonderful readers and your wonderful words and patience! Thank you to my wonderful beta-reader, Zen Nat, for her wonderful efforts and support! Thank you to you all, I will continue to work hard to update sooner. Amen.

**Rating: PG-13**

**Focus: His Pillar of Support**

In Germany, Tezuka thought about Ryoma constantly.

No matter the time of day, where he was, or under what circumstances, thoughts of the freshman always arose.

Even though Tezuka was aware that he was bordering on being obsessive, he could not help it anymore than he could help breathing.

Tezuka had been caught off guard. Never would he have suspected that he would miss the other boy this much; the intensity of it was disconcerting at times. Had he known he would feel this way before coming to Munich, he would have probably taken a longer time to contemplate his decision. He knew it was uncharacteristic for him to even think this way, but no doubt distance and a heightened sense of loneliness—being away from home and everything that was familiar to him—attributed to it as well. Still, though he also missed his grandparents and Ryuzaki, and his team members, especially those who were closest to him like Fuji and Oishi, none of them compared to how much he missed Ryoma.

In fact, almost as soon as he arrived, he already found himself longing for the sight of the younger boy's familiar smirk and the sound of his grumbling voice. He kept the picture Fuji had given to him before he got on the plane underneath his pillow so that he could pull it out and look at it at night when thoughts about Ryoma were at their most intense. He was embarrassed for being so nostalgic but in the solitude of his own room at the hospital, the comfort of having the picture so close at hand and easily accessible overruled his sense of pride. He liked having the image of Ryoma's disgruntled expression on his mind before he went to sleep.

Of course, there were other things he missed about Echizen, things that were related to certain physical needs; all of which he was rudely reminded of when the freshman decided to play that prank on him on the phone. Though he couldn't deny the irresistible allure of Ryoma's actions and appreciated it very much on an aesthetic level, since he knew the intent was only to tease, Tezuka was forced to downplay his reaction at the time. In truth, he had to focus on muting his response; he was quite serious about trying to avoid all sensual thoughts in relation to Ryoma. If he lingered too long on how the physical pleasures he was now deprived of, he would just be making his own life more difficult and the time here that much more tortuous to pass. After all, to go from having little to no physical contact with anybody throughout most of his life to intense intimate contact, only to fall back to down to zero was something even he was not looking forward to coping with, especially since it was still undetermined how long his stay in the institute would last.

To fill the sudden void of both the proximity and physical contact, Tezuka started taking comfort in composing long messages to Ryoma which consisted of describing in vivid detail his surroundings and daily life in Munich. His mind was set at ease whenever he imagined Ryoma sitting in his bedroom, reading his e-mails and then picturing his surroundings and experiencing his day as he lived it. By doing this, Tezuka felt the distance between them lessen, if only by a minute amount that probably could not be recorded in any measurable way. He would have been even more comforted if Ryoma shared his practice and wrote back equally involved messages, but even he knew that was wishful thinking on his part. In truth, if Ryoma had done that, he would have probably questioned the authenticity of the e-mails.

Talking on the phone helped even more, of course, but after being told about Nanjiroh's uproar over the bill, Tezuka immediately reduced his usage of that means of communication. He tried using prepaid phone cards so that the elder Echizen wouldn't have to foot the bill, but before long, that option had to be eliminated altogether, except for emergencies, due to the obvious impracticality of that method, considering the fact that the senior's funds were quite limited. However, not wanting to give up such a direct and easy way of conversing without at least exploring all of the options, the two of them next turned to the Internet phone. Unfortunately, due to the quality of the connection at the institute, they had to give up on that option as well since Ryoma quickly grew impatient with having to constantly repeat himself while trying to figure out what Tezuka was saying each time.

So in the end, Tezuka could only seek solace in their e-mail correspondence, but that too eventually met its end when one day, out of the blue, Ryoma responded to one of Tezuka's standard messages by writing: _Buchou, you write a lot, don't you?_

Incorrectly assuming that the younger boy had grown weary of reading his many treatises, Tezuka instantly began cutting down on the length of his e-mails. How could he have known that in actuality, Ryoma had been amused by his wordy prose and had only meant to tease him—that the freshman's question was borne from endearment rather than ire. As was one of the drawbacks of written words instead of spoken, Tezuka mistook his question for a complaint and therefore reacted accordingly.

As his awareness of the length of his e-mails grew, Tezuka began to look for a different alternative altogether so as not to burden Ryoma with reading what he started to see as his own cumbersome messages. It took a while before he eventually found it—pictures. He would send pictures to the other boy instead of writing to him. As soon as Tezuka started doing that, he realized how much he favored this method instead since the images were so much more capable of conveying his thoughts than any words he could conjure up, having never considered himself a prolific writer to begin with.

Thus, the senior embarked on his mission to send as many effective photos as possible, first taking pictures of all the different things that he had previously described to Echizen, and then soon moving on to random subjects that generally just reminded him of Ryoma in some way, no matter how miniscule the connection. The only prose he supplied with his images were captions explaining what each photograph was, and even then, at times, he chose not to include that, believing the picture was adequate enough. He never solicited the other boy for his reaction to the sudden change in how he communicated, since it wasn't in his nature to do so, therefore, he was quite relieved when, after receiving several e-mails with just images attached, Ryoma finally addressed them by writing: _You're weird. But the pictures aren't bad._

His thoughts of Ryoma were not just limited to the personal, but to the professional as well, since even from where he was, his role as the captain of the Seigaku tennis team was not forgotten. Thoughts about the freshman's progress would naturally lead to the upcoming tournaments and his team's preparation for them. He was kept informed through e-mail and infrequent phone conversations with Coach Ryuzaki and Oishi. In contrast, his contact with the other Regulars were mostly by e-mail only: since most of them were not privy to the more talkative side of Tezuka which Ryoma was acquainted with, their correspondence was more or less a reflection of how they normally interacted with Tezuka while he was in Japan. Meaning, for Momo and Kaidoh, other than the initial courteous inquiries and standard words of encouragement, which were mainly in response to Tezuka's first message informing the group that he had arrived in Germany safely, they had pretty much slinked back into the shadows in silence as they usually did in the presence of their esteemed leader, practicing the old adage of speaking only when being spoken to.

The third years were of course more bold and casual; after all, they were Tezuka's peers and have known him longer. For the most part, they maintained a more steady stream of correspondence with him, especially when it came to Fuji and Inui. Though he was kept abreast of most of the developments in the team in this way, Tezuka held back from commentating or even providing guidance. Having entrusted the team to Oishi, he made sure to support his appointed substitute's authority by not interjecting with his own opinion, even when Oishi was the one who asked for it. Tezuka believed that was the only way to forced Oishi, who has always been rather hesitant and at times overly fretful, to make decisions for the team and stick by them. The method seemed to work. Tezuka was glad when he was able to remain just a symbol of motivation for the team even through the Jyousei Shounan and Rokkaku tournaments. He took pride in the fact that not only was he able to leave in his team in such good hands, but that he had such a good team to begin with that they were able to do so well even in his absence. He was very proud of them and only wished it was in his nature to give voice to that fact so that he could tell them directly in so many words.

With the approach of their last hurdle before the Nationals—which he knew would be the hardest they would have to face given that Seigaku had never won against Rikkaidai—Tezuka had a strong feeling that this team with these Regulars would manage to surpass. He was confident in their physical abilities, and knew that they had worked hard in his presence and even harder in his absence. For the most part, he was also confident in their psychological preparation in going into battle, with just one notable exception, and that being the same person who had been occupying the majority of his waking thoughts: Ryoma. Specifically, he was worried about the younger boy's frame of mind.

To anyone else, his concern about that particular aspect would be odd, considering Ryoma's performance in both the Jyousei Shounan and Rokkaku matches, which proved without a doubt that he had more than earned his place as one of the top players in Seigaku. That was why Tezuka did not mention his qualms to anyone, not even to Ryuzaki. But with the news of Ryoma's latest victories came the realization that the freshman had been undefeated in all of his official matches. Ironically, it was this realization that the seed of apprehension began to take root in Tezuka.

Under any circumstances, straight wins would be considered a crowning achievement; anyone would be hard-pressed to find downside in such an astounding accomplishment. Tezuka did, however, especially when taking Ryoma's nature into consideration. Ryoma is arrogant, almost unfalteringly so. That aspect of his personality he possessed in abundance, ever more so than his fellow Regular counterparts. While Tezuka had no doubt that the freshman had the abilities to back up his ego, his concern stemmed from the possibility of that one day, Ryoma could be blind-sided by his own pride. The likelihood of that happening would be highest during an official match, since experience has probably lulled the younger boy into believing that true opposition would never come during those moments. As capable as Ryoma was of dealing with defeat under his father's hands and even his own, Tezuka was afraid that Ryoma would underestimate the strength of other opponents outside of his innermost circle since he has gotten so used to winning. Being fully aware of the caliber of players that made up the Rikkaidai team—players that were so strong that they didn't even need a coach—Tezuka knew Rikkaidai was the worst team for Ryoma to be underestimating. Especially since he knew that the finals line up would pit Ryoma against Rikkaidai's vice captain, Sanada Genichirou, whose skills most likely rivaled his own.

He knew Ryuzaki and Oishi were doing everything to prepare all the Regulars for the Rikkaidai tournament and therefore didn't want to further single Ryoma out by voicing his concern. Blatantly addressing the issue and discussing it with Ryoma was out of the question, so he could only make subtle attempts at broaching the subject. Much to his disappointment, his occasional warnings to Ryoma about not being careless when preparing for the finals, his good intentions were usually only greeted with curt and sardonic responses. Though Tezuka knew that was quite typical of Ryoma, he also knew he failed at driving his point home.

As a result, the night before the Rikkaidai tournament, Tezuka found sleep escaping him. Not one to toss and turn in bed, he simply laid motionlessly as stiff as a log while staring up at the ceiling. Several times he was tempted to just call Ryoma but since he had already offered his well-wishes earlier, he knew any additional gesture on his part would only be in excess. Not to mention, Tezuka did not want to disturb Ryoma from his much needed slumber or interrupt whatever routine he might be going through in mentally preparing for the Rikkaidai match.

Shortly before dawn, approximately an hour before the time the finals would be starting in Japan, the senior got up from his bed to stand by his window. Realizing that sleep was hopeless at this point, he decided to watch the sun rise instead. The nearest tower for his cellphone carrier was under repair, leaving him with no reception and therefore no means of receiving calls. The payphones downstairs were his only option for making calls. As a result, he had to ask Oishi to e-mail him the results of the finals when the matches were all over. He knew he still had hours to wait, but he had asked for his schedule to be kept clear until the afternoon so that he would have the opportunity to receive the news as soon as it arrived.

He was therefore surprised when within a few minutes of him getting up from bed, a chime sounded from his computer, notifying him of a new incoming message.

He was further astonished when he saw that the message was indeed from Oishi, who had texted him from his cell:

_Tezuka, the tournament has been postponed a week due to the rain! We have one more week to prepare! I am heading back to school now with sensei and Inui to discuss our training plans for this week. I will text you again when I return so you can call me to talk. Let me know if you have any ideas. I hope this is a good thing!_

After reading the unbelievable message once again, Tezuka leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes. One week. He knew what Oishi meant in his last sentence. One more week to prepare, one more week to _wait_. While having an important event like this postponed for a week might seem like a godsend to many, to athletes like them, who have already spent weeks preparing themselves for this day, changes like this was not entirely welcomed and might in fact be seen as a disastrous turn of events. No doubt they had been geared up and ready for battle, only to be told that their pent up energy was all for naught. For some people, getting psyched up all over again and in the same way might be an impossibility. It was similar to the slow uncapping of a shaken soda, the built up pressure inside would simply fizzle out instead of bursting out in one explosive blast. And then, on top of that, leaving the soda uncapped for days so that by the time cap is replaced and the bottle is shaken again, all that would result is a whimper of air. To maintain the intensity and motivation of the Regulars, Tezuka knew the training regimen for this coming week would be even more crucial than any they have ever had.

His thoughts turned to Ryoma then, wondering how the younger boy reacted to the news and what he must be thinking now. No doubt he would find this sudden change to be more of an annoyance than a stroke of luck. Tezuka briefly contemplated e-mailing him but in the end, decided against it. Ryoma would most likely send him a message later on his own anyway, probably something along the lines of: _finals postponed a week. So boring. _

Tezuka smiled. He shall simply wait for the boy's e-mail and respond accordingly.

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But the day went by and then evening came, and still, Ryoma did not contact him. Tezuka grew more concerned. The sudden lack of communication went against the usual norm, since for the past two tournaments, Ryoma would usually send a few words to Tezuka before and after the matches which gave him a glimpse into the freshman's current state of mind. For Ryoma to not contact him in some way was highly odd, even if the finals were postponed.

Later that night, finally giving up on just waiting for a message, Tezuka e-mailed the other boy on his phone with the following:

_Oishi informed me the finals were postponed. _

He knew that if Ryoma wanted to say anything about it, a simple statement like that would be enough to encourage him.

He timed his message so that it would be roughly the hour Ryoma would wake up to go to morning practice. Thirty minutes went by but still, there was no response. Not wanting to overreact, Tezuka considered the possibility that the other boy had forgotten to charge his phone once again, so he decided to e-mail his computer instead. Of course that meant that Ryoma probably wouldn't see the message until he came home from practice that night, but at least he knew for certain that Ryoma would see the message. He kept his second e-mail as brief as the first one, not wanting to give away the fact that he was growing more concerned by the minute. He knew two messages was already one too many; the freshman would probably figure out right away that Tezuka was worried and tease for being such a worrywart, but the young captain decided he would rather deal with the verbal ribbing than the uncharacteristic and unsettling silence.

When at least the response finally did come later on in the day, Tezuka was disconcerted when he saw that instead of coming Ryoma, the message was actually from Kawamura. Given that his rate of correspondence with the other senior was minimal at best due to their introverted natures, Kawamura really was one of the last persons Tezuka would expect to hear from, especially considering the odd timing. Upon reading the message, Tezuka finally obtained the reason for Ryoma's sudden lack of communication and the proof that all his worries about the younger boy were indeed justified.

Before doing anything further, Tezuka first replied to Kawamura, thanking him for letting him know what happened. The other senior had stated in his message that not only was Tezuka the only person he planned to share the information with, but he hoped that the captain would keep his message a secret even from the freshman, not wanting to embarrass Ryoma further. After clicking send, Tezuka got up and went over to his window and stood there looking out with his hands in his pockets. After a long moment, he took a deep calming breath which he released in a slow exhale. The initial concern he felt for Ryoma after reading what happened was slowly ebbing away to a rising sense of frustration mingled with displeasure. Though he didn't find it at all surprising that Ryoma would do something as rash as challenging Sanada to a match, he still wished for once that the other boy would have done the unexpected and not given in to his foolish impulses. At this point, Tezuka could only be thankful that the impromptu match hadn't taken place the day _before_ the finals, though God knows enough damage had already been done. No wonder Ryoma had been in no mood to respond to phone calls or e-mails. Tezuka would be surprised if the other boy's head was filled with anything but thoughts of his formidable opponent. He could only imagine the feeling of helplessness and humiliation Ryoma must have underwent to have been so utterly beaten by someone he probably hadn't even deemed necessary to take into consideration before this.

Tezuka remained by the window for a long time. He finally came to a decision. He had a 2 o'clock appointment that was quick approaching so he had to act fast or else he wouldn't have any free time until evening. Ryoma was, in a sense, broken, and he had to be fixed somehow. And while Tezuka knew a lot of the fixing would have to be conducted by Ryoma himself, he knew a way to help him on his journey to recovery.

Naturally, he was not going to bring up the subject to Ryoma and he was definitely not going to let him know that he knew about the whole incident. He already knew that confronting the freshman would be counterproductive. Instead, he would have to renege on his self-imposed decree and actually interfere with Ryuzaki-sensei and Oishi's training plans by suggesting some important changes. Even if his alterations did little to help extract Ryoma from the rut of his own making, he had to at least try. In the very least, the other Regulars might benefit from his arrangements.

He rummaged through his desk for his organizer which had his phone and address book. He would have to contact the coach and Oishi first to get their approval and feedback. He would probably have to explain what happened to Ryuzaki, since, being as sharp as she is, she would no doubt immediately sense something was up. He had no qualms about telling her, and he knew Ryuzaki would keep his confidence. In terms of Oishi, however, Tezuka decided it was better to keep him in the dark about what happened between Ryoma and Sanada. That bit of information would do little to assuage his nerves and would simply be adding another weight to the already heavy burden he had to shoulder. As he started on his message to his coach, Tezuka thought that perhaps it was indeed a godsend that they were granted another week to prepare for the Rikkaidai finals. He still wasn't at all happy with what Ryoma did, but if the psychological damage can be salvaged somehow during the coming week, then perhaps it was a good thing for Ryoma to get a preview of what he was up against in the finals.

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He got the first good sign that things were looking up when his Yamato-buchou sent him the following e-mail :

_The little pillar shows much promise; good choice on that one, Tezuka-kun. Haha, but it's no wonder you had to give me a little warning; he did put up some resistance at first. Luckily, we were able to fall down a cliff and spend some time alone fishing and ruminating about nature and tennis. His spirit seemed to be in a better shape when I left him. Sometimes it does take a stranger to lead one out of a mental maze of one's own doing, even if that stranger is an oddity like me. _

_Get better soon so you can rejoin your friends. _

_Best Regards,_

_Yamato_

Tezuka of course had given no indication to Yamato of his deeper relationship with Ryoma, but he had no doubt that if his previous captain were to ever see the two of them together, he would probably guess it right away without even needing to ask. Yamato was a rather eccentric person, but Tezuka had never met anyone else with sharper insight into people.

A short while later, Ryoma sent him an e-mail as well, which read simply:

_Met your Yamato. I guess I can see why you admire him. But he's still a weirdo._

The words brought a smile to Tezuka's lips. Prior to this, he had only received one message from Ryoma, which even though was supposed to be a response to his earlier inquiries, was rather disappointing in how noncommittal and curt the tone was:

_It's postponed. Going to training camp._

This new message was definitely an improvement and more reminiscent of their usual correspondence. Now that Yamato started Ryoma on his path to mental healing, all that remained was to repair the bridge between the mental and the physical so that they could once again overlap and meld together. Tezuka hoped that the candidate he enlisted to do so would be just as successful since his role was perhaps even more crucial than Yamato's.

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"…Yeah. The match with Echizen ended in a 6-6 tie."

"I see."

"But anything could have happened if it had gone into a tie break."

"Yes. Sorry for imposing on you, Atobe."

"Hurry up and get your shoulder healed so you can play me again. I will completely crush you the next time."

"I'm looking forward to it. Thank you."

"See you."

After Tezuka hung up the phone, he sighed and stood a moment with his hand remaining on the receiver. Without being in Japan himself, this was all he could do for Ryoma.

He hoped that it was enough.

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A few hours later, Tezuka received the following e-mail from Ryoma:

_Played against Atobe today. Tied this time. Next time, I will crush him. 'Night._

Smiling, Tezuka wrote back: _Yes. Good night_.

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It was the day of the finals, take two.

Tezuka was making his way back to the dorms at a leisurely pace.

He slept all the way through last night and didn't even wake up until his alarm clock went off at 7. By then he knew the finals tournament was already well under way, and he wouldn't have been surprised if they had already gotten to Singles 3. He glanced once at his computer just to make sure before heading to the bathroom. He performed his morning ritual and then went out on his morning jog. He then stopped by the coffee cart in the courtyard to buy a cup of warm milk before finally returning to his room.

When he sat down at his computer, he saw that there were actually nine new messages in his Inbox waiting for him. His heart beat speeded up just a bit as he opened the first one, which was from Oishi. The following popped up on screen:

_TEZUKA, WE WON!!! WE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!_

Next, one from Fuji:

_Tezuka, we won!_

From Inui:

_Tezuka, we won!_

Followed by Ryuzaki, Kawamura, Eiji, Momoshiro, and Kaidoh, all their messages a variation on the same theme: _We won!!_

Finally, the last message from Ryoma, which read:

_Nah, buchou, have you heard? We won. Heh. Did you expect anything less?_

To which he responded with a simple but honest:

_No._

A few minutes later, he received a reply:

_Good. You shouldn't. _

Expecting nothing else from Ryoma for at least the rest of the day, Tezuka was pleasantly surprised when he received another e-mail just a short while later:

_Hey. I know what you did. Yamato and Atobe. Thank you. Wish you were here today. _

Tezuka replied:

_I wish I was there too. _

A few minutes passed, and then another message:

_Hurry up and get better then. You're next on my list to beat._

Tezuka smiled and answered:

_I'll be prepared for you._

After another brief interlude, Ryoma responded:

_Call me tonight. E-mail is boring._

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A few days later, Tezuka received a package in the mail from Oishi. He opened it up to find that it was a videotape labeled: Our Championship Game!

Since the only entertainment center available was in the recreation room downstairs, Tezuka waited until later that night to watch the tape so that the VCR would be free. He watched the images on the screen avidly, his face almost too close to the screen. He had earphones on so that he could turn the volume on high and be completely enveloped by the sounds of the game. He sat watching the tournament from beginning to end with his upper body leaning forward while sitting on the edge of his seat. When Ryoma and Sanada's match started, he leaned in just a little more. As the match progressed, the bridge of nose crinkled a bit, the tiny crease remaining until the match was over. When the championship medals were handed out to each of the Seigaku team member, Tezuka finally sat back against his chair and removed his glasses with one hand while rubbing his eyes with another. He had hardly blinked throughout most of the tournament. After replacing his glasses, he was just about to lean forward to rewind the tape to rewatch the whole thing again when Ryuzaki's face suddenly popped up smack in the middle of the screen in a rather unflattering close-up.

"Tezuka, now that you've seen our championship game, the guys have some things they want to say to you," she said with a large grin while looking straight at the camera. "First up, Oishi, our fine substitute captain. Here, Oishi."

The image became shaky as the camera was being handed off to the person beside her. Oishi's face came into view. "Tezuka! We did it! We're not only going to the Nationals, but we're Regional Champions too! Can you believe it?! Look! Our medals! I kept my promise to you! And we couldn't have done it without you. Even though you weren't here with us physically, we felt your spirit urging us on! So get healed up soon so you can fight with us during the Nationals! Here's Eiji."

"Tezuka! We won, we won!! Well, I didn't really help much this time—"

Oishi could be heard protesting from beside him, "Eiji, don't say that, you tried your best!"

"No, it's true. It was my fault we lost in doubles 1. I lost control of my emotions. But don't worry! I won't make that mistake again! We will win all the way in the Nationals! Promise! And now heeere's Fuji!"

"Hi Tezuka, how are you doing? We did well, didn't we? We couldn't have done it without you, Oishi, or sensei. Like Oishi said, we felt you with us the entire way, leading us to victory. We can't wait until you're physically back by our side again, leading us to yet more victories. Get better soon. Here is Inui."

"Yo, Tezuka, hope all is well with you. We beat the odds, didn't we? Even though I calculated that initially our chance of winning would be 0.1 percent--"

At this, Eiji interjected with, "0.1 percent?-! Inui! That's mean! What faith you had!"

Inui had turned to look at the other boy, he then turned back to the camera and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, continued, "Ahem, well, I was able to increase that probability to 0.4 percent after our training camp at Karuizawa."

"0.4 percent? That's it, Inui-senpai?" This time Momoshiro was the one to protest.

"The important thing is," Inui continued unabated, "we overcame the odds. Our team is solid, Tezuka. We are constantly overcoming my data, so I'm sure the probability of us overcoming any future obstacles should be the same. We eagerly await your return so we can beat the odds together with you. Kaidoh's next."

"Good words, Inui. You've redeemed yourself," Eiji could be heard saying in approval as the camera was handed over to Kaidoh, who looked visibly flustered and was obviously ill at ease in front of the camera.

"Bu-buchou!" He bobbed his head once in a firm nod in respect. "We won."

"Idiot, he knows that," Momoshiro's voice mumbled from somewhere near.

Kaidoh immediately flashed a scathing look in the direction of the other boy as he demanded threateningly, "What did you call me, you bastard?"

"Bastard? Who're you calling bastard, you bastard?!"

"What? You asking for a fight, you ugly piece of—"

"Hey, hey, you two!" Ryuzaki warned just as Oishi exclaimed, "You guys, the captain is going to see all of this!"

Kaidoh's face immediately flushed with color as he looked down at the camera in panic. "Can-can we delete that?" he asked desperately as his eyes darted searchingly for the delete button.

"No! Leave it in!" Eiji cried with a shout of laughter. "It'll give Tezuka a good laugh."

Kaidoh's lips curled in what appeared to be a look of distaste, but his next words indicated he was simply having a hard time imagining that scenario. "The captain? Laughing?"

Inui could be heard saying in a low voice to him, "Kaidoh, you're still being recorded."

Kaidoh's eyes bulged at the reminder and his head dipped down hard in yet another nod as he ended his screen time with, "A quick recovery, captain!"

The camera was practically dumped in the next person's lap, so the image became erratic and shaky as the next person tried to steady it. Kawamura's face appeared and he also dipped his head slightly in a nod of respect. "Kon-konichiwa, Tezuka. How is your shoulder? I hope you are feeling better. Um…I'm not sure what to say…."

"This is boring," Tezuka heard Ryoma's voice say. "Here, Kawamura-senpai, take this."

"Wait, Echizen, I don't think that's a good—" Oishi began, but his voice was instantly drowned out by Kawamura suddenly bellowing, "BUUUUUUUUUURNINNNNNNNNG!!! HAHAHA!! LOOK TEZUKA, OUR TEAM IS ON FIIIRE!!! WE ARE HOT!!! WE ARE BUUUURNINNNNG!! WE ARE WINNERS!!!" Tezuka removed his earphones after the first syllable that was yelled but he could still hear the other senior's voice as clearly as if he still had them on.

Kawamura then proceeded to fling the camera around in a wide arc in an attempt to scan the audience, but that only resulted in a bunch of dizzying, jumbled images, with a few partial shots of astonished looks.

"Kawamura-senpai! You're gonna drop the camera!" Momoshiro shouted. From where he sat, Tezuka only sighed and shook his head. He could tell from the crazy motions of the screen and the sounds that were being emitted that some kind of struggle was taking place on the other end. When at last the image was steady, Ryuzaki's disapproving scowl filled the screen as she grumbled, "Mataku, you guys are like a bunch of drunk monkeys sometimes. Here, Momo, say your words and then give it to Echizen."

Momoshiro looked rather chagrinned when he came on. He bobbed his head slightly and rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "Tezuka-buchou, sorry about that. Well, what I want to say, the other senpais already said, in a much better way, so I'll just say, I hope you recover completely soon so you can come back and fight with us! And now…" the second year's flashed a wide, toothy grin, "…here's Echizen, buchou."

When at last the camera was handed to the freshman, Ryoma was not looking at the screen, but instead was looking beyond the lens at the others as he intoned, "What?"

Eiji could be heard exclaiming, "What? What do you mean what? Say something to Tezuka, Ochibi!"

Ryoma looked down at the camera so that for a split second, he was staring directly at Tezuka on the screen, before quickly turning his head away and resolutely stating, "I don't have anything to say."

"What?!" Momoshiro exclaimed from beside him, "What do you mean, you don't have anything to say? Are you crazy?-!"

The camera was jostled for a beat, Tezuka imagined that it was probably caused by the freshman shrugging his shoulders. "I don't."

"THINK of something!"

Another jostle. "Don't wanna."

"Say something to the captain, Echizen!"

"No."

"Ochibi! How can you? You have to say something!" This from Eiji.

"I said don't wanna."

"Look here," Momoshiro said warningly, "Echizen, stop being such a brat. You of all people—"

"Er, Momoshiro, if Echizen doesn't want to, don't make a big deal about it," Oishi said meaningfully from somewhere nearby.

"Huh? But-but, Oishi-senpai, don't you think Tezuka-buchou would want to hear from Echizen?"

"That's right, that's right. Tezuka would want that, Oishi," Eiji added eagerly. "_Especially_ from Echizen!"

Tezuka sighed again. He wondered if there were any other club members around in addition to Ryuzaki-sensei. Despite their well meant intentions, at this point, they could not have been more obvious if they had just spelled things out.

"Say something, Echizen!" Both Eiji and Momoshiro demanded again.

"No."

Even Kaidoh spoke up at this point, "Echizen, say something."

"No."

"Aah! You damn brat, why're you being so stubborn?" This from Momo.

"All right, all right, calm down," Oishi said. "If he doesn't want to, that's his choice. Here, give me the camera."

Before he did so, the edge of Ryoma's lips could be seen quirking up slightly in a smirk as he glanced down at the camera again out of the corner of his eyes. It was once again a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but because of the angle of the camera, which was pointing up at his face, Tezuka caught the look clearly. He gave a soft chuckle.

Once the camera was back in Oishi's hands, the substitute captain concluded their session by saying, "Well, that's all we wanted to say, Tezuka. Again, from all of us, get well, and we hope to see you soon!"

Next, the camera cut to a group shot of all the Seigaku team members, Regulars and non-Regulars, holding up a banner proclaiming them as Regional Champions and shouting, "Next, the Nationals!! Come back soon, Tezuka-buchou!"

The screen went blank and then to snow shortly after, signaling the end of the tape. Tezuka stopped it, but instead of hitting rewind, pressed play again and then rewind so that the images flashed across the screen as the tape wound backwards. He pressed play again when Ryuzaki's face first filled the screen so that he could re-watch that small segment once again before returning all the way to the beginning of the tape.

He spent the rest of the night rewatching the tape in its entirety at least twice more, wanting to relive the moment of their victory again and again with his team through the recorded images.

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About a week later, Tezuka received another e-mail from Oishi. Oddly enough, it was a blank message with only an attachment. The young captain clicked on the attachment to open it and then stared at the screen for a few seconds before stretching his lips in a wide smile.

What he was looking at was a flight itinerary for nine passengers traveling from Tokyo, Japan to Munich, Germany.


	22. Focus: Germany, Part 1

**Author's Note: **Haha, I'm an hour past the posting date but hey, at least it's still the same evening, right? I'll do better next time! Again, a big thank you to my lovely beta-reader for getting this back to me quickly even though I sent it to her later than I said, and any boo-boos left are entirely my fault. Thank you to all of you who have left reviews or have written to me; I know I suck at getting back to you, but know that I will continue to try and I do appreciate your supportive words! Please enjoy!

**Rating: **PG

**Focus: Germany, Part 1**

"Hey, Echizen, stop that, will you?"

Ryoma turned away from the airplane's window and looked at Momoshiro in surprise. "Stop what?"

"Your legs. They're driving me nuts."

Ryoma blinked at him, still confused. "What are you talking about, senpai?"

"They're _shaking_ like crazy! Sit still, will you?"

Since he had subconsciously stopped their motion as soon as he was made aware of it, the freshman could only glance down at his offending appendages blankly. "They were?" he asked.

"_Yeah!_ Didn't you notice? You were making my whole seat shake!"

Eiji popped up from the seat in front of them to pipe in with, "I thought it was just the plane! So it was _you_ all this time, ochibi?!"

Ryoma frowned at the senior. "You're exaggerating, senpai."

"Am not! Oishi," Eiji looked down at his companion. "Didn't the vibrating stop as soon as Ochibi stopped moving?"

Oishi's disembodied voice from beside him responded faintly with, "It wasn't that bad, Eiji."

"Was too!" Eiji argued just as Ryoma said, "See, Kikumaru-senpai."

"Seriously, Echizen, you get nervous on planes or something?" Momo questioned, genuinely concerned.

Ryoma shrugged. "Not really."

"Well, you've been doing that off and on through most of the trip so far."

"Ah ha!" Eiji suddenly cried out, triumph glowing in his eyes as he jabbed his finger at the younger boy, "It's cuz of Tezuka, isn't it? Cuz we're just hours away from seeing him, right? "

"Eiji, lower your voice!" Oishi admonished as he stood up halfway to tug on his friend's sleeve in warning.

"What? All of us here know already, and the rest of the team aren't even here!"

Oishi cocked a head in the direction of their coach sitting a few rows ahead of them. From their vantage point, they could only see that she had her arms folded against her chest and her head resting against the back of her seat, but they could not tell if she was asleep or awake.

Eiji gave a small grimace. "Oh yeah, oh yeah, sensei doesn't know. Fine, fine, I'll be careful," he attempted to whisper as he continued, "So Ochibi, are you getting more nervous? Or are you really, really excited about FINALLY reuniting with Tezuka after being separated for so long?"

"Lower," Oishi warned. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. His partner's idea of whispering was in fact only a nudge below his normal speaking voice, which was of course anything but a whisper.

"Fine," Eiji sniffed indignantly, only to brighten up in the next second as he commanded, "I know! Momo, switch seats with me!"

"Momo-senpai, please don't," Echizen said as he grabbed on to the second year's sleeve to prevent him from going anywhere.

The senior's lips instantly curled up in fierce pout. "How mean, Ochibi! Don't you want to sit with me?"

"Not really," Ryoma answered right away, his expression dead serious. Beside him, Momo snickered but then quickly ducked his head and tried to muffle his laughter when Eiji scowled at him in warning.

Turning back to Ryoma, Kikumaru pointed out, "I could still harass you from here, you know. You can't escape me."

At least he acknowledges it's harassment, Echizen thought as he replied wearily, "Senpai, you've been asking me the same thing every day since we heard about this trip." 

The third year flashed a toothy grin as he waved his hand dismissively. "Now who's the one exaggerating. I've only asked you, AT MOST, twice."

_Definitely not true, _Ryoma argued in his mind, but rather than speaking out loud and encouraging the inane discussion further, he tried to end their conversation by purposefully turning back to look out the window and planting his chin in the palm of his hand.

The point of the gesture was not lost on the older boy of course who began to complain, "Hey! Ochibi! Don't you know it's rude to not look at someone when they're talking to you? Look at me! Hey, I'm only asking cuz I care. Hey—!"

"Eiji, the snack cart is coming," Oishi informed him.

"Oh! Yatta!" Kikumaru clapped happily, instantly turning away and bouncing back down into his seat. He suddenly popped back up once more to stick his tongue out at Ryoma. "You're no fun, Ochibi," he declared before shifting his focus completely to the on-coming cart that had promises of soda and yummy snacks.

Ryoma smiled, though it was obscured by his fingers which were partially covering his face. He thanked the timing of the snack cart and Oishi-senpai for announcing its approach. It was a good thing that his Kikumaru-senpai was so easily distracted because he had no idea what would have happened if the senior had continued to try his patience. Most likely he would have been forced to do something even ruder than simply turning away and ignoring him, most likely in the form of some snappy retort. Not that his ire was unjustified: Eiji _had_ been pestering him literally every day—two or three times a day in fact—for the last four days with the annoying questions. To make matters worse, Eiji hadn't been the only one bothering him, his Momo-senpai and Inui-senpai sometimes joined in on the harassment as well: the former for the fun of it, and the latter for research, or so he said. Echizen had a feeling however that Inui probably derived some degree of pleasure from annoying him as well, despite using data collection as an excuse all the time. Thank God Inui was seated a few rows back, and Momo was actually behaving himself right now.

Ryoma was actually quite proud of himself for that. The reason why Momo had been uncharacteristically staying out Eiji's teasing was because Echizen recently discovered that he actually had a pretty powerful weapon in his possession which he could effectively use against the second year. He could almost kick himself for not realizing it sooner: every time he happened to mentioned Tachibana's sister, he was able to send Momoshiro into a mild fit of panic that would result in mostly distracting him from whatever topic they would happen to be engaged in. It was such an obvious behavior pattern, he really deserved some chastisement for not detecting it sooner, especially since so far, he's been the only one exposed to it. Ryoma didn't even need to go so far as to drop the girl's name in public yet, just mentioning it when they were alone was enough to get his senpai to freak out and then simmer down to silence. Earlier, he had dropped her name while they were still at the airport, but it was enough to keep the second year in line during all the hours they've been on the plane so far. It was a very useful weapon indeed and Ryoma looked forward to constantly putting it to good use.

What was even more amusing to Echizen was that even now, his senpai was still denying any involvement with the girl. Though Ryoma couldn't be absolutely sure they were actually dating, he was pretty certain that their relationship went beyond a simple one-sided infatuation on Momo's part, especially based on some of the inadvertent hints Momoshiro had dropped during the conversations they've had in the past. He didn't really care either way, but if Momo was going to bother him about Tezuka, it was only reasonable that he should be able to bother him about Tachibana's sister as well.

If only he had the same means of getting Eiji and Inui off his back. Somehow, he doubted either of them would be threatened by something like that. Actually, Ryoma found that he already felt sorry for the poor soul who would have the misfortune of falling into Kikumaru's romantic favor. He could already picture how obnoxious his senpai would be: he'd probably be the first to yammer on and on about that person to anyone who was too slow in escaping his grasp. Given his loquacious and out-going nature, in short of being poisoned and thereby losing his voice completely, Ryoma doubted Eiji would ever shut up about the person he liked. 

As for his Inui-senpai, Ryoma had a feeling the senior would somehow find a way to turn information like that around and use it against him instead. After all, people like Inui who were obsessed with data were probably also experts in manipulating it to benefit themselves.

Of course Ryoma knew that the easiest way to get his senpais to leave him alone would probably have been to simply answer their questions in the first place, but to do that would have been completely against his nature. Not to mention, Echizen just did not want to give them the satisfaction of knowing how he really felt. Then again, anyone with an iota of common sense could probably easily guess. That his senpais even had to ask such obvious questions invalidated their right to receive the answer. Considering how deeply intertwined he and Tezuka's daily lives had been prior to the senior's departure for Germany, _of course_ he looked forward to meeting up with him again. Ryoma couldn't _wait_ to see him. When Ryuzaki first told them they were going, he was so surprised and in disbelief that he simply blanked out for the rest of the day. Only when he was alone in his bedroom that night was he able to finally react and fully enjoy the elation he felt. He would never admit it out loud to anyone, not even Tezuka, but Ryoma was truly, thoroughly excited about seeing the older boy again after being apart for so many months. In fact, he had been sorely tempted to talk to Tezuka about it, just so he could hear the other boy's reaction but he had to resist the urge since they had all promised Oishi to keep their trip a secret so that it would be a pleasant surprise for Tezuka. He could amuse himself by picturing Tezuka's reaction in his mind—his reaction upon finding out the news of their visit and then his reaction when they finally got to see each other face-to-face in Germany. He knew Tezuka wasn't one to give in to dramatic gestures, but he couldn't help the feeling of dread and curiosity at the possibility. He also wondered if Tezuka looked any different; though it has only been a few months and therefore probably not long enough to bring about a drastic change in anyone's appearance, Ryoma still wondered if the senior had noticeably gained or lost any weight, if he had gotten any taller (he would hate it if he had), or if he had cut his hair or perhaps let it grow out some. After all, in all the pictures Tezuka had sent, none of them actually included himself.

Though Ryoma felt a bit silly for being even slightly heady with anticipation, at the same time, he knew his feelings were only natural and therefore felt comfortable in acknowledging them, even if only to himself. What he hadn't anticipated on, however, was that along with the anticipation came an odd sense of tension as well. He felt as if his whole being was being drawn as tautly as a racket string. To make matters worse, the tension was unexpectedly manifesting itself in visible ways which usually escaped his notice. Until Momoshiro pointed it out, Ryoma honestly didn't even know he was shifting his legs restlessly, but that wasn't even the first time. In the few days prior to their departure, on more than one occasion one of the three freshmen had noticed the same thing as he was sitting at his desk in class. As Katsuo had put it, he looked like he was preparing to do his split step while seated in place. He also started unconsciously doing things like drumming his fingers on any surface that he rested his hand on for more than a minute, tapping writing implementations arythmically on the palm of his hand whenever he had a chance, or during practice, bouncing a ball on the frame of his racket whenever he wasn't engaged in a match—all to the point where someone eventually had to beg him to stop because the incessant sounds he created was driving them nuts. He hated that he had picked up these odd habits all of a sudden, and hoped that they would all cease when he met up with the cause of their existence.

However, as they neared their destination, Ryoma only felt more tense and restless, similar to how he felt before his match with Sanada and yet at the same altogether different. He felt a little off-balanced by the surge of bewildering feelings, so when the plane finally landed and they were greeted by Tezuka's doctor instead of the guy himself, Ryoma found that he actually felt a little relieved. There was a tinge of disappointment as well, of course, but he was more thankful than not. He figured having a slight case of jet lag probably didn't help, so he just needed a little more time to focus himself again. He didn't really pay much attention to the lady doctor but was still glad for the delay she provided.

On their way to the rehabilitation center, it was near torture making himself stay glued to the seat in the bus. At least when his legs started their twitchy motions again, he caught himself before anyone else did. Good thing he had chosen to sit in the way back, where he was mostly left alone.

His senpais were feeling their own sense of excitement, from the sounds of it, since their drive through the city afforded them a quick tour of Munich as well. Momo, Eiji and surprisingly, his Kaidoh-senpai, were especially vocal, since this was the first time either of them had ever been in a foreign city. Amazingly, Momo and Kaidoh seemed to be putting their on-going rivalry to the side for the moment as they enthusiastically shared their marvel about their new surroundings to one another. Their enthusiasm quickly spread to the others: despite their travel experience to places outside of Japan, all of them were strangers to Munich itself. Ryoma tried to share their wonder, but he just couldn't strum up the excitement right now. Not that the city didn't look interesting, in fact, he did somewhat look forward to spending some time meandering through the old looking streets and buildings. Some of the places they passed by even looked familiar to him, most likely from the pictures Tezuka sent. He was curious about what they were and what purpose they served though he was sure he'd have plenty of time to find out, considering they were staying here for a better part of the week.

His senpais' gleeful chattering soon gave way to observant silence, as their surroundings quickly changed from city streets to unpaved country roads. Their transport eventually turned on to a private road lined on either side by a thick lush trees which hinted at a more magnificent forest area beyond.

"Ah! Is that it?!" Eiji suddenly gasped as he pointed ahead to a rather impressive series of buildings they were nearing.

Tezuka's doctor replied in the affirmative with a soft chuckle. "A small part of it at least. That is only the visitor's center for our facility. The actual center is behind that."

Eiji exclaimed, "Wow! It's that HUGE?!"

"It has to be. Athletes from all over the world in almost every sport imaginable come to our center to rehabilitate from what could be potentially career-ending injuries. We must be able to accommodate their needs, in both therapy and living facilities."

"Wooow!" was all the senior could manage in his awe.

"No wonder it's one of the most highly regarded sports rehabilitation centers in the world," Fuji murmured.

"It looks more like some kind of high class resort," Kaidoh supplied eagerly.

"Or some kind of…gigantic country mansion," Momo breathed. Normally, countering statements such as that would be enough to get the viper all riled up and cause him to bare his fangs, but Kaidoh was currently too overcome with astonishment to do more than mutter a compliant, "Yeah."

Even Ryoma nodded in agreement. Tezuka's pictures really didn't do the place justice. Then again, the photos only consisted of bits and pieces of his surroundings—he could hardly expect them to provide an accurate picture of the size and magnificence of the estate.

As the doctor pulled up alongside the entrance of the visitor center, she announced, "Okay, we've arrived."

"We can finally see Tezuka!" Kawamura said enthusiastically.

"Echizen, when we meet the captain, you'd better not cry," Momo shouted at him, as he leaned partway out of his seat and craned his neck back to look at him.

"I'm not going to cry," Ryoma shot back grumpily, which only resulted in inducing a round of chuckles from the others.

As soon as the bus came to a complete stop, the boys quickly got up and gathered their bags from the top compartments. Ryoma was a little more slow, the tension in him was becoming as palpable as a physical weight about his limbs. He almost jumped in surprise when Momoshiro was suddenly beside him chiding him, "Geez, snap out of it, Echizen! You've been just staring at your bag like some zombie. If you can't reach it, you should ask one of the senpais to help."

Inui, overhearing the last part of Momo's words, offered an apology. "What? Oh, sorry. I didn't notice he was having trouble."

"I'm not," Echizen mumbled, and then grudgingly added, "Thanks, Momo-senpai."

"Yeah, yeah, come on. The captain's probably been anxiously waiting for us. Aren't you excited to see him? You've gotta be. I know I am!"

Ryoma took a deep breath inwardly. That question again. Of course he was excited. He had to focus, focus.

As he began to step off the bus, he instantly looked straight ahead, expecting to see the familiar tall figure before him. When there was only an empty space before the front glass doors, he was completely perplexed. Since Tezuka had not gone to the airport, Ryoma had wholly expected to see him dutifully waiting for them here. He couldn't just be standing around inside somewhere, could he? Just coolly lounging about, waiting for them to find their way to him? That didn't make sense. That would be downright rude and uncharacteristic of Tezuka. So where the heck is he?

Just disappointment threatened to seep in again, bringing with it just a hint of irritation, Ryoma was suddenly startled by a strong tickling sensation at the back of his neck, the ones he usually felt when someone like Karupin was staring intently at him from nearby. He stopped in mid-step and glanced to his left, where the source of that sensation was emanating from. The intensity of the gaze that greeted him left him speechless for a moment. He didn't even notice Momoshiro loudly chastising him from behind for not moving faster. When his vocal chords were working again, Ryoma only managed to exhale the word, "Captain", as his eyes eagerly took in the welcoming sight of the senior.

His face was the same, his hair looked about the same, couldn't tell if he was taller, but he did look a little thicker about the torso and arms.

Ryoma felt somewhat let down when all too soon, Tezuka broke the connection between their gazes, his eyes moving on to the other members of the Seigaku team as they each began to utter their own salutation, their affection for their captain and friend evident in the warmth of their voices.

"I'm glad you came, everyone," Tezuka intoned, the degree of warmth in his voice rivaling theirs. And for once, the smile on his face, though still faint for any normal person, was actually quite obvious.

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Echizen couldn't stop looking at Tezuka.

Try as he might, he found his gaze quickly wandering back to the young captain as soon as he tried to direct it away.

Not that it was that odd, he was okay with his inability to keep his eyes off Tezuka; they haven't seen each other in a while, so of course his attention would be focused on him. What Ryoma actually found frustrating was the fact that every time he glanced in Tezuka's direction, the other boy always seemed to be looking in the opposite direction, or in the process of looking away. In fact, other than the initial greeting, the guy barely acknowledged him at all.

Well, that wasn't _quite_ right. There was the rather lame exchange they had inside the visitor's hall. For being the first words out Tezuka's lips after finally being able to speak face to face, they were a huge disappointment, to say the least. Ryoma really could have done without the rather back-handed compliment. What the heck. It wasn't that he had been hoping or even expecting some overtly sentimental comment—the mere idea made him curl his lips in distaste, especially if those sentiments had been uttered in front of the others—but Tezuka could have stopped after saying, "You played fairly well". The criticism following that was completely unnecessary, as far as the freshman was concerned.

During their tour of the rehabilitation center, Ryoma became fairly certain that the other boy was not only trying to ignore him, but he was clearly trying to avoid him altogether.

When Tezuka was showing them his room, because Ryoma had fallen behind the others and had been the last to enter, he was also the last to exit, and therefore, he was left alone momentarily with Tezuka in the room. Ryoma was actually happy to see the room he had only previewed in photographs before now, so with a smile, he was about to say something about it. He didn't get the chance, however, because as soon as he opened his mouth, Tezuka nodded once at him and then instructed curtly, "Close and lock the door behind you, please," before turning away quickly, not even waiting for a response.

During their quick tour of the city, Ryoma tried to be amused at first at Tezuka's amazing ability to ignore the fact that he was practically boring his eyes into his back at every turn. The guy _had _to have notice. Soon enough, though, Ryoma grew tired of the game, and even more tired of the lack of the response. He became a bit annoyed at himself for even trying when Tezuka was obviously acting weird. To distract himself from his visual obsession, he decided he could do just as well avoiding Tezuka, so he began sticking to his Momo-senpai istead, who seemed incapable of staying still. Every time they made a brief stop at some landmark, Momo acted like a monkey on the loose. His Kikumaru-senpai was the same as well, and was even more frenetic than the second year, but to follow _him _around would just have been too intolerable. He didn't need more reasons to be aggravating, what with his reunion with the idiotic Tezuka already becoming a big letdown. The tension he'd been feeling all this time had barely abated at seeing Tezuka in person, and already it was quickly transforming into tension of a different sort—the type he usually felt when he had to deal with Nanjiroh for more than ten minutes.

Of course, he should have seen it coming when the two of them, along with Inui, became separated from the rest of the group. Considering how things were going, it was only natural that they would get lost as well. And of course also, of all the people he could have been lost with, he had to end with the two senpais whom were illiterate in German. If Fuji or Kawamura had been with them, at least they would have a fighting chance as the two of them had taken German class along with Tezuka.

At least Inui was resourceful enough to have his map. By the time they found their weary way to Kristov Avenue, Ryoma decided he wouldn't at all object to just heading straight back to the rehabilitation center, where he could retire to the guest rooms they had been given and fall into a deep sleep for the rest of the week, or at least until tomorrow. If Tezuka was going to keep up this weirdness, he might as well find some other way to enjoy his time here. The beds looked pretty comfortable.

Unbelievably, things actually took a turn for the worse when they bumped into a loud-mouthed drunk at Kristov Avenue. She made up for her noisy personality somewhat by treating them to non-alcoholic drinks at the bar where she had been hunkered at before they had the unfortunate luck of crossing her path. It wasn't long, however, when whatever minor goodwill he felt toward her was quickly eliminated when she not only insisted on referring to him as "boy", but also when, in her drunken stupor, she started yelling at him about something and then proceeded to drag the three of them off to a nearby park's tennis courts for a match. He had no idea how they ended up like this, her words about disliking the way he looked made little sense, but he was definitely not at all thrilled about his current predicament. He was always up for a game of tennis, but against some drunken stranger, it hardly seemed worth the effort, even if the match would no doubt be an easy win.

With that attitude, he was prepared to encounter little opposition, so he was completely caught off guard when the old lady's serve came bulleting toward him and past him to collide against the pavement with a resounding boom in a powerful service ace. He could hear the fence behind him shaking from the contact with the ball. The unexpected skill behind the woman's serves and the shrewdness of her subsequent game play was able to partially rouse Echizen. He only noticed the others watching from the sidelines when the old lady suddenly waved at one of them.

"Kunimitsu!" she called out cheerily.

Ryoma was now fully alert, and he guessed immediately that she must be the trainer Tezuka had mentioned. He began to appraise her more carefully and then realized that he actually knew her. In fact, not only did he know who she was, but he had even met her and received her autograph. Hannah Essenheimer. He had actually seen one of her professional matches when she participated in a goodwill tournament in America. Since he was still quite young, he didn't remember much about meeting her, and no doubt that was the result of his father making him get her autograph because she was attractive. He probably still had her picture stashed among some of his old things, and he now recalled the words she had scrawled beneath her signature: _Never Give Up_. Corny, to be sure, but he probably appreciated the intentions more when he was younger. Seeing her now, however, it was obvious she had somehow failed to live up to her own words.

"You must be the Ryoma Echizen that Kunimitsu has been talking about," she was presently saying.

He blinked in surprise. "You've heard about me?"

"I just had a feeling...because Kunimitsu was so eager for me to meet you."

He allowed himself a quick glance over in Tezuka's direction, as a warm feeling coursed through him at her words. On the surface, his stormy expression did not alter one bit since based on the way she spoke the words, he doubted her next comment would be complimentary.

Indeed, she continued, "Japanese junior high students really are cocky, aren't they?" Hanna narrowed her eyes threateningly as she announced, "I'm going to beat that attitude out of you."

Echizen almost smirked. Even without the threat, he was ready to rise up to any challenge she attempted to present. In the instant when she mentioned Tezuka, he surmised that this was the young captain's way of testing him, of seeing how far he has advanced since the last time he'd watched him play. There was of course the video of the Rikkai tournament, but knowing Tezuka, that would hardly be enough. He would want to assess the development of his abilities in person, with his own naked eyes.

Realizing that was more than enough to strengthen Ryoma's resolve to beat his opponent. Even though he knew he was up against a bona fide pro, he was still fairly confident of his chances of winning. After all, Hannah hadn't participated in a professional match for at least a good five years. Not to mention, the alcohol she had consumed earlier at the bar was obviously taking a further toll on her normal motor skills. Out-of-practice and off-balance…odds were definitely stacked in his favor.

A few points later, Ryoma had to hand it to her: Hannah was still putting up a rather tough fight considering her condition. She was tougher than he expected. In the end, Echizen was actually surprised that he had to pull out almost every trick in his bag in order to beat her. In truth, if she hadn't made a few mistakes on her own, he wondered if he would have won. More likely than not their game would have ended in a deuce.

Despite his initial lack of enthusiasm, when the game ended, he discovered that he actually enjoyed it.

It wasn't every day that he got to play against a pro other than his father, and the chances of him playing against a female pro was probably zero to none. Her tennis skills reminded him of Sanada's, though with that thought came the unbidden image of the Rikkai vice captain in a drunk and raucous state. Disturbing, to say the least, and definitely something he could do without ever seeing.

Ryoma was in the middle of trying to disentangle himself from the fierce bear hug Momo had trapped him in when he noticed Tezuka approaching. He stopped struggling and even the second year stilled. Thinking the senior was finally going to address him again, Ryoma was therefore utterly taken aback when Tezuka went right by him to head straight for Hannah. As Ryoma listened to the words being exchanged, he suddenly realized he had been wrong. This match hadn't been Tezuka's means of measuring his progress, this match was more for _her _sake than anything else. His assumption had been completely incorrect. This was for _her_, not for _him. _

_What the hell_, he was fully annoyed right now. Who cares about Hannah Essenheimer anyway? With his eyes boring into the back of Tezuka's skull, Ryoma only wished he had a tennis ball in his hand right now, so he could smash it straight at that stupid, incomprehensible person standing in front of him.

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"Where you goin'?"

"Captain's," was Ryoma's grumbled reply to Momoshiro's question as he pulled on his shoes. They were in the room they were assigned, with him seated at the bed and Momo unpacking on the floor.

As soon as they had entered their room, the freshman had thrown himself onto on of the beds and kicked off his shoes while the second year instantly began exploring the room like a kid in a candy store. After staring at the ceiling wordlessly for a good five minutes, Ryoma had suddenly snapped back up, having come to a decision to take action. They only had a few days, damned if he was going to waste it wondering what the hell was up with Tezuka. Time was valuable, he would just get straight to the core of the absolutely exasperating mystery.

"_Now_?" Momo demanded incredulously.

"Yeah. So?"

"But…but we're supposed to meet for dinner in…about fifteen minutes!"

Ryoma gave him a strange look. "I know."

"Then…you're gonna go see him _now_? That's…that's not a lot of time," he paused and repeated under his breath, "Not a lot of time at all."

Ryoma rolled his eyes. "I'm not going over to _do_ anything, Momo-senpai. I'm just—"

The older boy cut him off by emitting a sharp yelp and slapping his hands against his ears. "I don't want to know!" he cried in alarm.

"'Taku," Ryoma muttered under his breath as he headed for the door. "Everybody's an idiot."

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Two wrong turns later, Ryoma finally stood before Tezuka's door, displeasure already evident on his face in the form of a dark scowl. He rapped on the door firmly, once, twice, before the door was flung open and he was greeted with the sight of Tezuka, looking mildly astonished.

"Ryoma," the senior intoned. "We're supposed to meet…."

"Yeah, I know, downstairs. There's still ten minutes."

Tezuka appeared troubled. "Then, if you're done washing up, why don't you go downstairs first?" he suggested.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes at him. "What?"

"I'll see you. Downstairs."

Ryoma didn't even have a chance to say another word before the door was practically closed in his face. He had never seethed in his life, so he wondered if the heat rushing to his head was normal. Unwilling to just turn away without demanding an explanation, he raised his hand to knock again, but was fortunately saved the trouble when the door suddenly opened again. A good thing too; the noise resulting from his hand coming into hard contact with the surface of the door again would probably have been enough to alarm the occupants in the nearby rooms.

Tezuka was looking at him calmly, gone was the astonished expression from a moment ago. He inclined his head slightly as he said, "Come in."

Ryoma hesitated, the darkness of his scowl did not lessen one bit. "You _sure_?" he said sarcastically.

This time Tezuka nodded firmly. "Yes."

After shutting the door behind him, Tezuka motioned for him to sit down at this chair by his desk. Ryoma remained standing by his desk as he immediately demanded, "Hey, what's the matter with you?"

Tezuka shook his head, his expression transforming into one of apology. "I'm sorry. I know you must be upset."

"You noticed? That's amazing."

"Of course I did. I could tell you were, since the visitor's hall."

"I'm glad. You're not that stupid after all."

Tezuka smiled at that. "I'm sorry," he offered again and then his words continued to pour out, "I couldn't help it. I was so looking forward to seeing you again. But then, when I actually saw you there, with the others, I suddenly…I guess I panicked a little."

"About what?"

"I don't know. I guess I felt a little self-conscious, in front of the others. I forgot how to act."

"Act?"

"That might not be the correct way of putting it. It's simply that, when you got off the bus, I almost completely forgot the others were around. When I realized it, I was a bit shell shocked. I wasn't sure what to do."

"That's stupid."

"I know it is," Tezuka admitted. "I was a bit disoriented, I guess you could say. I needed some time to regroup. To focus."

Ryoma only responded with a haughty, "Hmmph." In truth, his ire was somewhat assuaged by the older boy's words, since he understood what he meant. After all, he had been experiencing the same feelings, though of course he was still able to act much more rationally than Tezuka had.

He drew back all of a sudden in mild alarm. "Wait, you weren't gonna run up and do something stupid like hug me or anything, were you?"

Tezuka chuckled. "Of course not. I would never do that."

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Nothing. I was not thinking." Tezuka sighed and after a brief pause, finally smiled down at him and stated, his voice full of unconcealed affection, "I'm just so glad you're here."

Ryoma sniffed. "You sure know how to show it," he groused.

"I know. I'll try to make it up to you. But I was really, truly happy when I saw the itinerary Oishi sent. Of course I was happy to see everyone, but most of all…." Tezuka gestured in his direction. There was no need to finish the sentence. "I'm sorry," he repeated after a beat. "You are right, it was stupid of me."

"As long as we both agree…," Ryoma twisted his lips at him grudgingly. He got up, satisfied at the explanation. "I guess it's fine then."

"You're leaving?"

"We have to be downstairs in a few minutes, right?"

Tezuka seemed slightly disappointed. "Yes."

"I just wanted to know what's wrong with you. I'll meet you downstairs."

It wasn't that Ryoma was in any particular hurry to leave, but he was not quite willing to make the first move either. His hesitance wasn't bourn of shyness, of course, but more stubbornness. Therefore, he was actually glad when Tezuka took the decision out of his hands by calling out his name softly and then bending down to envelope him in a tight embrace. Ryoma's arms immediately snaked across the senior's back to return the hug, even as he pointed out accusingly, "I thought you said you weren't gonna hug me."

"This doesn't count."

"Why?"

"We're alone."

Ryoma turned to look at Tezuka with the full intention of shooting a witty retort at him, but instead, as soon as their eyes met, so did their lips, and Ryoma found himself pressed up against the door and smothered with an onslaught of kisses, in which he returned with just as much fervor. He felt Tezuka's arms lowering to his hips as he was lifted up and held up against the hard wood by the older boy's arms and body, all the while Tezuka never let up on his passionate assault on his face, lips, and neck. himself When he had ended up in this position before, Ryoma would usually protest to be let down, since he felt it only served to emphasize their difference in height, which he found mostly irksome. This time, however, he wordlessly cooperated by quickly wrapping his legs around the taller boy's waist to help take the pressure off of Tezuka's arms.

They showering each other with kisses, all of them bone-meltingly intense, albeit sloppy and awkward at the same time. In fact, they had few near misses of teeth clamping down tongue or lips. More than once their teeth clashed against each other, which, though painful, did not slow them down one bit. Ryoma chuckled softly when he realized that their time apart had almost completely eliminated their finesse in the art of kissing which they had so meticulously honed back home. It was as if their many, many practice sessions had been completely eradicated from memory. However, since their ardor more than made up for the lapse in skill, Ryoma decided not to mention it, even when Tezuka asked him what was so funny. After all, they had close to a week to work on their kissing.

Naturally, being in such close physical proximity with each other soon led to the rise of other intentions. Ready to move on to the next stage, Ryoma began to reach down with one hand to slip underneath Tezuka's waistband. He was surprised when the other boy grabbed hold of his hand to stop him.

"What?" Ryoma demanded breathlessly.

Tezuka rained more kisses on him before uttering the word, "Can't."

Ryoma's response came a whole minute later, when he was finally willing to come up for breath. "Why?"

A few more minutes later, Tezuka returned, "Downstairs."

"What?" Ryoma was too busy trying to make another attempt at breaching the other boy's pants to remember what that word meant.

Tezuka chuckled as he captured Ryoma's wandering hand again. "Ryoma, Ryoma. We have to go downstairs." Ryoma was able to shut him up for a few minutes more but Tezuka eventually managed to add, "We have to go to dinner."

"Still going?"

Tezuka's gentle laugh tickled against his mouth. "We have to."

"Why?"

This time Tezuka tilted his head back to break contact so that he could answer properly. "Everybody will be waiting."

"So?" Ryoma pushed Tezuka's glasses up to set them on top of his head. They had been poking into his cheeks all this time, but he was too preoccupied to do anything about them. He pressed kisses against the senior's eyelids.

Tezuka smiled and did the same to him. "We should go."

"We have a few more minutes."

"I don't think so."

"Hey, didn't you say you would try to make it up to me? Start now."

"But…."

"Don't be such a nag, captain. We have a few more minutes. Don't worry."

Tezuka hesitated, but Ryoma easily convinced him with a few insistent kisses. He sighed and gave in, but not before stating firmly, "Only a few."

"Of course," Ryoma assured him, as he delved back in to make good use of the little time they had for now.

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**Author's Note**: Chapter 23 posting date: September 26th.


	23. Focus: Germany, Part 2

**Author's Notes**: A big thank you to Zen Nat, my lovely beta reader, and pardons that it took so long for me to clean up the chapter according to your recommendations. Again, any remaining mistakes are entirely my fault.

**Rating: R, R, R **

(though life would be so much more easier for me if this site allowed a NC-17 rating)

**Focus: Germany, Part 2**

"Ano, Oishi-senpai," Momoshiro whispered worriedly as he leaned in close to the older boy while holding up his wrist to show him his watch, "It's already been more than fifteen minutes. Don't you think one of us should go get them?"

Oishi blanched at that. "Do _you_ want to go?"

"Heck no!" Momo instantly shot back, his head shaking emphatically. Despite the passage of time, the image of what he had seen the last time he had foolishly peeked in on the two boys was still fresh in his memory. He wasn't about to commit the same mistake twice. Though he was ashamed to admit it, he was almost relieved when Tezuka's departure shortly after spared him from any awkward moments with the senior.

Oishi understood his dread. Even though he had not seen what had happened with his own eyes, Eiji's graphic description afterwards had painted a vivid enough picture.

At the same time, as vice captain, he felt torn between his feelings on the matter and his sense of duty, in addition to his sense of obligation as friend and teammate to the absent boys. After all, Tezuka and Echizen were indeed late, and the longer they stood around waiting without anyone taking the first step to amend the situation, the more conspicuous their tardiness would become. He shot a quick glance at their coach and was glad to see that she was still chatting with Fuji. Hopefully, the other boy would keep her preoccupied enough that she wouldn't notice the time.

Momo voiced his concern. "But someone eventually needs to go get them, right, senpai? The old lady's gonna notice soon."

"I know, I know." _But who_? he wondered miserably as he frowned. Fuji would have been the ideal person, since he seemed the least fazed by the whole situation, but there was no way to get him away from their coach without her noticing. Not to mention the fact that he was also reluctant to even send his friend on a mission that he himself didn't want to fulfill. That hardly seemed fair.

"I'll go!" Eiji's sudden materialization beside them made them both jump. The last time Oishi checked, his partner was still by the window with Kawamura, chirping excitedly about something. How'd he get here without them noticing, and with such precise timing too?

"EH?" Momo yelped, his eyes enlarging with surprise. "Kikumaru-senpai! Are you kidding? You seriously want to go? Don't you remember last time—"

"Keep your voice down!" Oishi instantly reprimanded him while pressing a finger against his lips in emphasis.

The younger boy ducked his head in chagrin and saluted in apology. "Sorry, sorry! Senpai, remember how _that_ turned out? Why would you want to _go_? What if you see something _worse_ this time?"

"You think I _will_?" the older boy questioned in a hushed tone.

"Who knows! I wouldn't risk it."

Eiji pouted. "I know! I shouldn't! But I can't help it! They're like my pimple. I know I shouldn't be picking at it, but I keep _thinking_ about picking at it, so I _have_ to pick at it!"

His friend twisted his face in disgust. "Eiji, that's gross."

"Well, you know what I mean, Oishi. They're just irresistible."

"Actually, I don't even think it's a good idea for you to go," his partner began hesitantly.

Eiji planted his fists on his hips in indignation as he demanded, "And why not? What's wrong with me going?"

"Well," Oishi trailed off. There was no way of saying without offending his friend that for the sake of Tezuka, he just felt that it would be a bad idea; therefore, he simply finished with, "cuz you might get upset."

"Upset?" Eiji frowned in confusion. "Why would I be upset? Grossed out, yeah, but not upset."

"That-that's what I mean. You might get even more, you know, disgusted."

"Mmm-maybe, but I think I can handle it."

"But…." As Oishi racked his brain to come up with a better excuse, Inui, who had overheard their conversation, suddenly volunteered to go as well, which only made him groan inwardly. As far as Oishi was concerned, Inui was an even worse candidate. As much as he admired and respected his teammate, he was honestly unsettled by his constant thirst for data collection and he had no doubt that the reason behind Inui's offer was because he wanted to gather more information.

"I don't know…." Oishi uttered dubiously, wondering how he could reject his offer without being too blunt.

Unexpectedly, Eiji was thinking along the same lines and had no qualms about voicing his suspicion. "You just want to collect more data, don't you, Inui?" he asked as he scrutinized the taller boy with narrowed eyes.

Inui tilted his head to one side as he answered with ease, "Of course I do." He was almost puzzled such an obvious question would even need to be asked. "Who knows what kind of valuable information I may ascertain."

Folding his arms across his chest, Eiji stated haughtily, "That's not very honorable of you, Inui. Then you definitely shouldn't be allowed to go."

"Honorable?" Inui pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Why am I not being honorable?"

"Cuz you're gonna use that information against them!"

"But…" Inui crinkled his forehead, truly perplexed. "But that's what I do. I've never kept it a secret from any of you. You can't blame the observer for putting collected data to good use. Isn't that the only logical thing to do? Otherwise, the data is just wasted."

"But you aren't just _observing _if you're gathering information, you're _spying_!"

"Um, I'm not sure I see the difference, but anyway, aren't you guilty of doing the same?"

"I'm different! I'm not gonna do anything with what I see!"

"So you're essentially wasting the information you've gathered. Isn't being wasteful a sin?"

That threw Eiji off for a second: he opened his mouth but then stalled as he was momentarily at a loss for a proper comeback. He snapped it shut in the next instant and scowled at Inui before finally retorting stubbornly, "No. It's worse when you use that information against them."

"How so? On what scale do you base that on?"

"It just isn't right!"

"But it wasn't right to spy on them to begin with, and we were all okay with that."

"I already SAID—that's different."

"Is this because I won't let you look at my notebook earlier?"

"You! So you _did_ shut it on purpose!"

"Ah, I thought so."

"You _knew_ I was trying to look! You always do that!"

"It's my notebook."

"And you're our friend and teammate. You should SHARE!"

"I do share, just not _all_ the information. Don't I have the right to pick and choose what I share with everyone?"

"Not when you got the stuff from _spying_!"

Before their argument could escalate any further, Oishi raised his hands in a placating gesture and interjected. "Wait a minute, wait a minute! You two, calm down, will you?" He directed a scolding look at each of them. "First of all, who said anything about _spying_ on them? All I wanted was for someone to go upstairs and knock on their door and tell them we're waiting for them down here."

Kikumaru folded his arms against his chest and snorted disdainfully. "If that's the case then why don't _you_ go up there to get them, Oishi?"

"Be-because! I…um…I…."

His friend snickered and nudged him in the arm with his shoulder while giving him a knowing look. "It's cuz you're afraid of what you're gonna see or _hear_, right? So you do admit, we might _see_ something we're not supposed to see."

"Eiji!" Oishi exclaimed, appalled.

The other boy only chortled, pleased at his friend's scandalized expression. Seeming to have already gotten over his heated debate with Inui just a second moment ago, he now questioned good-naturedly, "So, so, if you don't want to go, and neither does Momo, and you won't let me go, and Inui isn't allowed to go…." At the mention, the senior in question pursed his lips grudgingly, obviously dissatisfied about the decision.

"…then who the heck's gonna go? Hey, what about you Kaidoh?" Eiji said as he beckoned to his kouhai.

The second year's eyes bulged even more in dismay. His answer was prompt and firm. "No way. Absolutely not."

"Mou! Then what about you, Taka-san?"

"Eh?" Color rushed to the boy's face as he seemed to shrink in his frame. He rubbed a hand back and forth across the back of his neck nervously, obviously uncomfortable about the idea. "Do you mind…I really prefer not to," was his timid response.

"Hmm, is there a tennis racket around here?" Eiji muttered as he glanced around.

"I don't think that will change my mind," his teammate told him, his voice apologetic.

Kikumaru finally shrugged and declared, "Looks like there's no choice. It's either me or no one else, Oishi."

"If Kikumaru goes, then I should be able to go too," Inui asserted.

"Hah? Why's that?" Eiji challenged heatedly.

"We're the only two willing to go," the other boy reasoned. "So why shouldn't we both just go together?"

"Hey, didn't I already say…."

Inui waved a hand as he turned and began to walk away. "Don't worry about it. If you're that paranoid, you can keep an eye on me, right?" he threw out over his shoulder.

"Damn right I will!" the senior snapped as he followed the taller boy. "Hey, wait up, Inui!"

"Be quiet, you two!" Oishi ordered roughly, irritated by the ruckus the two of them were making. "If you want to go, just go! Stop being so noisy or the sensei's gonna—"

"Gonna what?" Ryuzaki called out. Startled, the boys turned as one in her direction, all of them expressing varying degrees of guilt and alarm on their faces. Only Inui remained nonplussed.

Oishi tried to downplay his reaction by shrugging casually and shaking his head. "Nothing, nothing, sensei. We were just chatting."

"Anyway, one of you should go get Tezuka and Echizen," she pointed out. "They're already more than fifteen minutes late."

Oishi winced. So she _had_ noticed.

"They're probably just catching up and lost track of time," Kikumaru offered helpfully, which only made Oishi wince more. That sounded even more suspicious to his ears since, as everyone knows, both Tezuka and Echizen were not the type of people to "catch up" with anyone. Putting that idea out there was only bringing further attention to the strangeness of their absence.

Presently, their coach was smirking. "Is that so? Well, they have close to a week to _catch up _all they want so someone go tell them to save it for later and get down here before the bus leaves us behind."

Just as he was about to open his mouth to respond, something about the way she said that made Oishi pause and cock his head to the side questioningly. A seed of suspicion began to take root in his mind. One quick glance at the others told him that the same notion was forming in their heads as well since they were all staring at their coach curiously.

Fuji was eventually the one to give voice to their hunch. In a completely matter-of-fact manner, he said inquiringly, "Sensei, so you know about Tezuka and Echizen?"

"Fuji!" Kikumaru gasped in shock, apparently unprepared for the other boy's bluntness.

Ryuzaki waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Of course! What do you take me for? I'm your coach, after all, it's my _job_ to know everything that's going on with you boys." She paused thoughtfully and then amended, "Well, everything that's important, at least."

"That's amazing, sensei," the tensai said with genuine admiration. "How long have you known?"

Their coach exhaled forcefully as she mused over the question. "Mmm…I knew…probably before even they did."

"What do you mean, sensei?" Kaidoh wondered, confused.

She waved her hand again and gave him an enigmatic smile. "Call it, woman's intuition."

Kaidoh glanced at Inui for clarification and was met with a shrug. "From what I understand, it's a powerful and mysterious force," was all the older boy could offer.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Eiji suddenly squawked. "Sensei, you knew _all_ this time and you didn't _say_ anything about it?-! How _could_ you?-!"

Ryuzaki eyed him with amusement. "Why _would_ I?" she returned.

"Be-because…" Kikumaru floundered helplessly.

Before he was able to continue, his coach went on to say, "Listen here, who you boys associate with during your own time is your own business. As long as it doesn't negatively affect your schoolwork and your tennis, I really could not care less. I only make it a point to observe carefully because, as I said, it is my job."

"In other words, you're just collecting data because that is what you do," Inui supplied supportively. With the utmost nonchalance, he met the sharp look of disdain Eiji aimed at him with a mildly triumphant smile.

"Except I don't utilize the information in any potentially threatening way," Ryuzaki stated wryly.

"Ha!" Eiji pumped his hand in the air in victory. "See, Inui!"

The older woman chuckled. "Leave him alone, Kikumaru. I'm only kidding. That's Inui's tennis and his way of doing things. Without it, we might not have won against Rikkai or many of our other opponents."

Inui nodded in thanks for her acknowledgement.

Ryuzaki continued, "Anyway, enough about that. What's important now is that we need to feed our stomachs. What about…Oishi, you and Momo go get Tezuka and Echizen."

"M-me?" the two boys sputtered at the same time.

"Can I go too?" Eiji asked while raising his hand enthusiastically. Beside him, Inui did the same as he intoned. "Me too."

"We don't need four people to go fetch two. Oishi and Momo's enough."

"Uh, maybe Fuji can go instead?" Oishi put forth with a hopeful expression. Momo nodded eagerly at the suggestion.

"Why? What're you two afraid of?"

The two boys exchanged a look before answering simultaneously in a hesitant voice, "Nothing."

"Then hurry up. We'll wait in the bus."

With much misgivings about their assignment, they had no choice but to do as told. As they headed off, Momo mumbled wistfully to no one in particular, "I really hope they're just chatting."

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Of course Tezuka and Echizen were doing nothing of the sort. In fact, if Momo and Oishi had walked in on them at that moment, the tableau they were presenting would most likely scar the two boys for the rest of their lives. Facing their captain eye-to-eye again would have been out of the question.

Luckily for them, there was little chance of anyone accidentally intruding upon the couple since Ryoma was currently serving as an effective doorstop. Tezuka had long lowered him back down to the ground so that he was now standing with his back wedged tightly against the door, trapped in place by the older boy who was kneeling before him, paying worshipful attention to his body. One of Tezuka's hands was holding his shirt in place at the level of his shoulders to keep his midsection exposed, while his other hand, having slipped underneath his shorts, was gently kneading his ass. Ryoma encouraged the stimulating motions by shifting back and grinding deliberately against his hand. His own hands, clasped on either side of Tezuka's face, were currently exerting pressure in a none-too-subtle gesture to urge his head lower.

The senior was just about to comply when the sudden sound of knocking made them both freeze. They stared at each other wordlessly with matching expressions of astonishment.

"Um, T-Tezuka? It's me, Oishi. And Momoshiro."

"Senpai, speak louder," they heard Momo whisper loudly, "They might not hear you!"

"Oh right. Tezuka?" Oishi repeated with more strength, "Oishi and Momo here. Is Echizen in there with you?"

"We already know he is, senpai," the second year instantly reminded him.

Oishi shushed him. "Anyway," the vice captain continued, "We've been waiting for you. You two. All of us. Downstairs. Are you guys…ready yet?"

Ryoma glanced down at his watch and then cursed under his breath. When he showed Tezuka the time, the senior was astounded. He could hardly believe that close to half an hour had passed; to him, it felt as if it had only been a few minutes.

Meanwhile, their two teammates in the hallway continued to converse amongst themselves, apparently assuming that they could not be heard. After all, they would have never guessed that Tezuka and Echizen were in fact right there on the other side of the door.

Momo was saying, "Hey, Oishi-senpai, do you think they heard you?"

"_That_ wasn't loud enough? No way."

"Maybe. Maybe not. If they're, you know, _busy, _then it's possible they might not have heard you."

"Busy?"

A beat passed before Oishi, clearly embarrassed by what the younger boy was implying, responded with an over-annunciated, "_Geez._"

Ryoma rolled his eyes as Tezuka finally spoke up. "We'll be right there," he answered firmly.

"Oh! Tezuka? You heard me! I'm glad. Okay. We'll…be here then. Or should we go downstairs?"

"Just stay right there." Ryoma was probably the only one who caught the very faint tinge of exasperation in his tone.

With obvious regret, Tezuka removed his hands from where they were and began straightening Ryoma's clothing. Before getting up from his knees, he leaned forward to kiss Ryoma one more time and ended up staying there longer than he intended.

When at last they broke apart, the freshman was smirking, which only tempted Tezuka more. The young captain hastily jumped to his feet and took a step back to readjust his own clothes so that he was in a presentable state once again. Before going out, they gave each other a thorough once-over to make sure not even one strand of hair was out of place. Only when they exchanged a nod in satisfaction did Tezuka finally open the door to face their teammates.

Judging from the relieved expressions on his senpais' faces, Echizen guessed that they must look normal enough, without giving away any indications as to the activities they had just been engaged in. Though the thought did cross his mind that he probably shouldn't be too pleased by the fact that his senpais had been expecting something to the contrary, he decided to let the notion slide. Considering the older boy's status, the implication of that was probably more disrespectful to Tezuka than it was to him.

Tezuka apologized to Oishi and Momo for making them wait, and when they got to the bus, he apologized to their coach and the rest of the team. Ryoma followed suit. Thankfully, Ryuzaki only scolded them mildly for their tardiness, and save for a knowing look from Eiji and an inquisitive one from Inui—both of which were mainly directed at Ryoma—the other boys reassured them that it was no problem at all.

With that taken care of, Ryoma headed right for the back of the bus to reclaim his seat from earlier. He was fully expecting Tezuka to stay at the front with the others, especially since there was a vacant seat available right next to the driver. Therefore, he was somewhat bewildered when, after instructing the driver on where to go and providing the others with a brief description of their destination, the senior headed back to join him instead. Feeling the weight of several pairs of eyes on them—namely, Eiji, Momo, Kaidoh, Inui, and Oishi's; his Kawamura-senpai was trying not to stare while Fuji and their coach acted as if nothing special had occurred—Ryoma gave Tezuka a pointed look. The older boy returned his gaze calmly, his visage remaining as expressionless as ever.

Deciding that if Tezuka didn't mind the attention, then neither did he, Ryoma simply shrugged and glanced away just as the older boy began a discourse with Fuji about his therapy. After a while, the rest of the gang joined in as well, their initial excitement over the "moment" that had just transpired evidently replaced by their more serious concern over their captain's health.

Though not for long.

To everyone's amazement—including Ryoma's—Tezuka was to provide them with more opportunities for gawking as the evening progressed. During supper in a cozy restaurant on Kristov Avenue, Ryoma found Tezuka taking a seat next to him once again. Right away he noticed his senpais' antennas shooting back up at attention. And even though Tezuka hardly acted out of the norm throughout the meal, every time he handed Ryoma a plate of food or served him directly, the freshman could not help but notice how a few of his senpais were rather blatantly drinking in their interaction in a greedy manner. In fact, he could practically _see_ the word "Kawaaaiiiii!" floating over his Eiji-senpai's head. A few times he even caught his Inui-senpai furtively scribbling away in his notebook. While the others' reactions were a bit more subdued, Ryoma nevertheless could still tell that they were paying attention.

Tezuka, on the other hand, seemed ignorant of the scrutiny. Whether he was hiding his awareness or was actually oblivious, Ryoma could not tell. He decided it was probably best not to bring it to Tezuka's attention, lest he froze up again.

After their meal, as they strolled down the busy avenue and popped in and out of the different shops there, Tezuka remained glued to the freshman's side.

Ryoma wasn't sure if he was wholly thrilled with the older boy's constant proximity, since it was distracting in two ways. First, it was providing way too much material for his senpais to salivate over, based on the almost feverish glances Momoshiro and Kikumaru were throwing their way. Ryoma was dismayed to see that two of them were almost twittering like overexcited school girls.

Second, the plain fact of Tezuka's nearness was a distraction in itself, especially as it reminded him of their interrupted activities from earlier and the possibilities they would be afforded later on tonight, when they were alone again. Though normally Ryoma was confident in his ability to keep his feelings from manifesting on the surface, right now, due to his senpais' hyper-vigilance, he felt just a tiny spark of concern edging into his consciousness. At one point, when Tezuka handed him an item of interest—some sculpture-like thing; he had no idea what the heck it was nor was he really paying attention—and their hands accidentally came into contact for a split second, Ryoma almost visibly jumped at the instant wave of heat that washed over him. He had to glance around surreptitiously to make sure that no one else had noticed. Thankfully, the others happened to be in a separate part of the shop at that moment. The mere idea of him blushing for all to see, not to mention the long-term repercussions that would result from such an undignified sight, was enough to vex him, and naturally, he began directing his ire towards Tezuka for creating these circumstances.

Though Tezuka was most likely puzzled by Ryoma's sudden change in attitude, he never addressed the matter. Instead, he remained rather at ease, seeming to truly be enjoying himself.

Ryoma's irksome mood did not dissipate until they arrived back at the rehabilitation center. As they headed back to their rooms, Ryoma felt his spirits noticeably lifting, no doubt in anticipation of what was to come.

However, he soon realized his miscalculation when Tezuka suddenly stopped in front of his own door and bade everyone a good night.

_Shit._

The word reverberated throughout Ryoma's mind. He had completely forgotten that he was sharing a room with his Momo-senpai! In fact, now that he spared the topic a thought, he actually couldn't just spend the night in Tezuka's room. Propriety aside, what kind of aggravating chatter would something like that conjure up amongst his older teammates? Though he personally could not care less about what they thought of him, he knew Tezuka did care. He could almost hear Tezuka's voice droning in his head, "Them knowing we have sex is one thing, but us flaunting it is another. You should go back to your own room." Of course, leave it to Tezuka to think like that.

As a result, with his lips pursed grumpily, Ryoma had no choice but to follow Momoshiro back to their shared quarters, all the while completely oblivious to the curious looks the upperclassman was directing at him. Only when they were in the privacy of their room did the second year finally speak up.

"Hey, Echizen?"

Ryoma had already thrown himself on top of the same bed he had occupied earlier and was once again staring intently up at the ceiling. "What?" he asked listlessly.

The other boy hesitated for a second before coming out with, "It's really none of my business but," he scratched his head absently, "why aren't you with Tezuka-buchou?"

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Once they did, Ryoma raised his head slightly to glance at the other boy, his forehead crinkling in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I figured you would, uh, you know, be over there…with him. You know? Sharing his room."

Ryoma dropped his head back again with a soft plop. "I don't think he'll go for that," was his grumbled reply. He didn't even try to hide his disappointment.

"Huh? Why not?"

"It isn't _proper_."

"The captain said that?"

The freshman sighed. "No, but I know him. That's exactly what he'd say."

Momoshiro scratched his head again, now his turn to be confused. "Ano…does he remember that _all_ of us already know that you two have….you know….done it?"

"I dunno. Probably." Ryoma brought his arms up and laced his fingers behind his head.

"Then what's the problem?"

Ryoma shrugged a shoulder. "Probably something to do with maintaining respect as our captain."

"What does respect have to do with it? I mean, it'll be a little awkward for sure, I can't say that I'll be able to look him in the eyes, knowing that…," Momoshiro stopped, shook himself vigorously to cast away the images that were threatening to materialize in his mind. "Anyway, that's beside the point," he went on after a bit, "It's just you and me here, who else is gonna know where you spent the night? I'm not gonna tell."

There was a pause before Ryoma finally sat up. He eyed the older boy dubiously. "You won't?"

"No. Of course not. I already said it's none of my business."

Still unconvinced, the younger boy questioned, "What about Eiji-senpai and the others? How can you resist when they ask?"

"I know we give you a hard time about stuff, but something like this, it's different. This is private. We do know how to draw the line _somewhere_, you know."

"But you guys are always _bugging _me," Ryoma pointed out sourly.

Momoshiro chuckled. "Of course. That's part of our job as your senpai. And we're gonna keep bugging you forever cuz you're too easy. But they're all just harmless jokes. You know that. So I won't say a word about this. It won't be right for me to do that."

Ryoma twisted his lips uncertainly as he continued to scrutinize the second year. However, his own desires eventually won out over his indecision. In the next instant, he suddenly sprung up from his bed and proclaimed, "I trust you, Momo-senpai. I'm going then."

Just as he reached the door, he paused and turned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "And in return, I promise not to ever say a word about Tachibana's sister to the others. Unless they discover it on their own, that is."

The instant reaction he received was nothing less than comical in its predictability. "How many times do I have to tell you? There's _nothing_ to _say_ about her!" his senpai exclaimed passionately, a mildly panicked expression already settling on his face. "There's nothing to _say_ and there's nothing to _discover_!"

Ryoma waved one hand dismissively as he pocketed the room key with the other. "Whatever. If you say so. 'Night, senpai."

"Hey, Echizen, don't forget to come back before the others wake up though," Momo warned. "It's not my fault if you bump into any of them on your way back, okay?"

"I will. Thanks."

As he was about to duck out the door, Momo held him back again by asking curiously, "Hey, don't you need your bag?"

"Nope. Ja ne."

When he finally comprehended the implications behind his response, Momo stuck out his tongue in distaste and gave himself another firm shake before chanting insistently, "Don't think, don't think, don't think…."

O  
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Once again, Tezuka greeted Ryoma with the same startled expression as he had the first time he came a-knocking, though without his glasses this time. He had been in the process of getting ready for bed when he was surprised by the knock.

"What are you—?" the senior began, just as Ryoma scurried inside his room.

"Close the door already," the freshman commanded. No sooner had Tezuka done so did Ryoma immediately began undressing.

Apparently flabbergasted, Tezuka stayed rooted in place as he unblinkingly watched the other boy. "What are you doing here?" he repeated.

"What does it look like? Come on, undress." Ryoma punctuated his words by reaching for Tezuka. Though it didn't take long for him to become receptive to the younger boy's advances, the senior nevertheless had to force himself to ask, "You're staying here tonight?"

Ryoma flashed a crooked grin at him. "Tonight, tomorrow, maybe every night while I'm here. Why? You want me to go?" He was already exploring the taller boy's mostly exposed chest with his hands.

"Of-of course not, but what if the others…."

"Momo-senpai promised not to tell."

Whatever catharsis Tezuka was momentarily caught up in was instantly shattered by that statement. At last he utterly gave in to his pent up desires and quickly bent down to envelope the younger boy in a crushing embrace. Their lips connected once again, roughly, passionately, and just a little painfully; though this time around, they were already beginning to recapture some of their previous grace. While they were probably keyed up enough to finish things right there by the door, with what remaining presence of mind Tezuka still had, he began to lead them towards the comfort of his bed.

Lots of grasping and a few stumbles later, they did make it, with Tezuka falling on top of Ryoma, who was wrapped around him like a barnacle. Not that the older boy's embrace was any less intense. As they clung together tightly, their mouths continued to devour each other frantically.

When they were completely free of their clothing, Ryoma stopped to take a good look at Tezuka's body, as he was curious to see if there were any noticeable changes. What he saw made him frown in mild displeasure.

When he first got off the bus, Ryoma had already noticed that the senior's upper body had gotten thicker. His observation was further confirmed by Fuji who actually remarked out loud about Tezuka's apparent weight gain. What he hadn't guessed was that Tezuka hadn't just gained any weight, he had actually gained muscle mass. His upper arms were now sculpted with a more pronounced bicep, his upper chest was tight with muscles, and his abdomen, which used to be flat and firm with as a washboard, was showing the beginnings of what would undoubtedly be an impressive six pack.

On top of that, based on his earlier position, Ryoma had a sneaking suspicion that the guy had also grown at least another inch taller, which basically neutralized the inch he himself had acquired during their months apart. At this rate, was he ever going to catch up to Tezuka's height?

"Damn it," Ryoma groused, unable to stop envy from rearing its ugly head.

"What is it?" Tezuka queried when he noticed the scowl on the younger boy's face.

Not wanting his own pettiness and sense of competition to ruin their mood, Ryoma only shook his head and said dismissively, "Never mind." To stopper any further inquiries from Tezuka, Ryoma quickly sealed his lips with his own.

Before long, they become aware that the contact of lips and bare skin was simply not enough. Having already spent part of an hour earlier on foreplay, the two of them were now more than ready to attain actual release. However, there was a slight problem, which Tezuka was eventually forced to point out in between sticking his tongue down Ryoma's throat and allowing the freshman to do the same.

"I won't last," he informed Ryoma with something akin to bashfulness. "It's been too long."

An extremely busy moment later, the younger boy echoed his admission. "Me neither." A few seconds later, he added, "And I wanted to go first too."

Tezuka chuckled breathlessly. "Me too," he confessed.

"Hnnh…then we might have a problem," Ryoma murmured before stretching his lips in an impish smile. After showering the older boy with more kisses, he thought of something.

"Ah, I know," he announced softly as he untangled his arms from around Tezuka's back. With another smirk, he reached down between their bodies and encircled both of their erections with his hands, giving them a playful squeeze. The gesture wrenched a loud gasp from both of them, the intense pleasure resulting from it startling even to himself.

"Hush!" Tezuka whispered reflexively, though his warning was directed at himself as well.

"Oops. Forgot." Ryoma ducked his head and chuckled. He next instructed the older boy to switch positions with him. As Tezuka carefully turned over onto his back on the bed, Ryoma repositioned himself at the same time so that he was now straddling the senior. His hands still retained their hold. As soon as they were settled, Ryoma began moving against the other boy, his hips shifting back and forth in thrusting motions to mimic actual penetration. The weeping state of their erections provided ample lubrication for his movements, allowing their members to slide easily against one another with little friction in time with his thrusts. His hands stayed in place in order to ensure that their erections had the maximum contact.

Tezuka was arching against him, his feet providing leverage for his own reactive thrusts. To adhere to his own admonishment, he covered his mouth with one fisted hand, while his other hand was nestled within Ryoma's hair in a firm grip that was tight enough to be noticed, but not enough for Ryoma to actually give voice to a complaint, immersed as he was in his own quest for gratification.

Which came soon enough, very soon, seeing as, true to their words, the two boys really were not able to hold out for long. They didn't even have a chance to establish a rhythm, instead, they simply continued to thrust, roughly and quickly, until finally, they came: Tezuka first, with a soundless shout, and Ryoma almost right after, with a rather loud whimper that he was barely able to muffle with his shoulder.

Despite their quick but intense release, they were not completely done yet: within Ryoma's loose grasp, their members remained semi-erect. After just a lightning fast interlude, they began thrusting against each other again. This time, they were more successful in establishing a rhythm, though it was no less vigorous and fast. Tezuka grabbed the back of Ryoma's neck to pull him down so that their lips could meet, their open-mouthed kisses effectively swallowing the noises they were making, and their sharp cries of passion as they climaxed yet again, with Ryoma going over the edge first this time around.

The interlude lasted longer this time. When Ryoma finally relinquished his hold on their members, he wiped his soiled hands discreetly on the bedcovers. He wondered idly if Tezuka did his own laundry here. Though at this point it was probably too late to ask, seeing the mess they had already made. He then draped himself on top of the older boy, his arms coming up to wrap around his neck.

"First one to recover gets to top," Ryoma muttered lazily as he rubbed his cheek against the side of Tezuka's face, much like a cat. Tezuka only answered his decree with a soft chuckle.

Unsurprisingly, a short while later, Ryoma popped his head up and announced, "I'm ready." Though he did notice that Tezuka had been running his hands up and down his back suggestively for some time now, he decided to ignore the fact.

Unfortunately, the senior wasn't about to give up his right that easily. "Hmm? Really? So am I."

Ryoma flicked at his right nipple. "I called it first."

"Stop that. And you said the first one to _recover_, not the first one to _call_ it. As you can see, I clearly qualify." Tezuka shifted slightly to bring attention to his hardening member.

Ryoma was unmoved by the gesture. "Well then I'm changing the rule now. First one to _call_ gets to top first."

Tezuka nuzzled the freshman's forehead with his nose and then kissed it gently. "You can't do that," he argued absently.

"I just did. Do you have any jelly here? Crap, maybe I shouldn't have wiped my hands on the sheets."

Tezuka emitted a soft bark of laughter at that. "You wiped your hands on the sheets?"

"Of course. Where else would I wipe them?"

"You could've asked for a tissue."

"Stop stalling, so do you have anything on you?"

Finally paying attention, Tezuka frowned after considering the question. "Not exactly. Lotion maybe…."

"Bleah. I don't like that. Remember, that doesn't work as well…."

"Right. Mmm. Then I don't think so," at the sour look Ryoma aimed at him, Tezuka shrugged and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, if I had known you would be coming to Germany and staying in my room, I would have thought to pack it."

"What? Where else would I be staying?"

Tezuka licked at the corner of his eyes and cheeks before answering, "You were supposed to share a room with Momoshiro."

"Don't lick my eyes, weirdo. That feels funny."

"Sorry." He ran his tongue across Ryoma's forehead and the side of his face to taste the shell of his ear.

"That's better. Anyway, you seriously thought that I'd just stay there?"

"Of course. What else would I think?"

Ryoma looked up at him strangely from underneath his lashes. "What about sex?"

"I thought our earlier session was probably as far as we could get," the young captain responded solemnly. "I'm not saying I wasn't disappointed, but having you here is already good enough."

"You're easily pleased," the younger boy stated sardonically, though a corner of his lips was quirking up in a grudging smile at the same time.

"Of course this is much better."

That brought out a full smirk from the freshman, but it was almost immediately replaced by a frown as he returned to their earlier discussion. "Hey, seriously, you don't have anything here?"

"Sorry, nothing comes to mind."

"Darn it, and I actually brought it, but it's in my bag back in the other room."

Starting to grow a bit troubled at their predicament, Tezuka wondered in mild concern, "What should we do?"

Ryoma sat up and crossed his arms against his chest while twisting his lips in frustration as he continued to think. His eyes fell momentarily upon the half congealing globs on the bed sheets in consideration, but he shook his head in the next instant, deciding that it would just be too disgusting at this point. Had he realized earlier how ill-prepared they were, he would've been more careful about preserving their ejaculation.

As Tezuka's fingers began drawing invisible patterns on his skin, which only served to speed up his heart rate and increase his excitement more, Ryoma came to a decision. He hadn't planned on having to _work_ for his own fulfillment, but if the end justified the means, then what point was there to complain? Not to mention, he actually didn't mind the means that much.

As soon as Ryoma shifted downward, Tezuka guessed his intention. He began chuckling in both disbelief and amusement at the younger boy's desperation and resourcefulness even as Ryoma engulfed him in his mouth. The expression on his face clearly showing that he did not appreciate the laughter, Ryoma tried to silence him by punching him lightly on the side of his body. That only caused Tezuka to laugh harder as he squirmed to the side in response. Eventually, however, as Ryoma really started concentrating on his task, Tezuka's laughter soon gave way to other more appropriate sounds.

Thankfully, Ryoma didn't have to work too hard to reach his goal since Tezuka achieved completion in no time. He couldn't help smirking at his efficiency, though he did refrain from pointing it out. He could save that for later. Right now, with the rewards reaped from his efforts, he immediately set out to prepare the older boy, though he did take care to not be too rough in his eagerness.

He had Tezuka turn over on to his stomach, and the older boy automatically remembered to draw his knees up to provide him with better access. When he entered Tezuka with his fingers, the senior groaned, his muscles at his opening offering little resistance since his whole body was still languid from his recent release.

Before long, Tezuka was ready to receive him. Again, Ryoma tried his best to be considerate, but once he was fully seated within Tezuka, his reservations were instantly overcome by his need. Wrapping his arms tightly around Tezuka's torso, he urged him upright to a kneeling position and then began to piston in and out of him in earnest. Overwhelmed by the white heat coursing through him every time Ryoma hit the right spot, Tezuka grabbed hold of Ryoma's forearms, his nails digging carelessly into them, and brought them up to his lips so that he could alternatively kiss, lick, and gnaw at the flesh there. The fierceness by which his mouth worked on his arms only served to excite Ryoma more, causing him to strengthen and speed up his thrusts. Though their lovemaking lasted longer this time, to the freshman, too soon, it was over again, as he began groaning his partner's name into the back of Tezuka's shoulders, signaling his fast approaching end. With one final hard thrust, Ryoma came with a violent shudder, his teeth inadvertently clamping down hard on the lightly sweaty skin before him. Not quite ready for another full orgasm, Tezuka nevertheless shivered in response to the feeling of the hot liquid rushing inside of him. The intensity was enough to cause his member to stir.

After a much longer while, when they were able to move again, Tezuka turned and pulled Ryoma down on top of him as he fell bonelessly back against the mattress. When at last speech was once again manageable, Ryoma raised one finger in attention and proclaimed in a voice still breathless with the after effects of his amazing orgasm, "First one to recover, and call it, gets to top again."

This time, his words were met with a tired but clearly stated, "I'm ready."

O  
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Thusly they spent most of their nights together during Echizen's time in Germany.

Though after that first night, their nocturnal activities did decrease in frequency, if not fervor. It wasn't for lack of interest, however, but rather, more for practical reasons. When Ryoma finally dragged himself back to his room before the crack of dawn that first morning, after they had reversed their roles once and then back again, he was so exhausted that it took Momoshiro a good half hour just to rouse him out of bed. It took the rest of the hour before his senpai was able to drag him to the bathroom, where he finally gave up and left him in an unceremonious heap on the floor. Clucking in disgust at his sorry state, Momo shook his head and declared emphatically, "I don't want to know," before shutting the bathroom door behind him, leaving Ryoma to his own resources.

When they finally met up with Tezuka and the others that morning, Ryoma was pleased to see that the senior was also feeling the effects of their evening together, though he was doing a much better job at hiding it. Only Ryoma noticed that every chance the older boy got, he would lean against something to rest his body. His transgressions were more noticeable when they were exploring the city museum, the first activity on the itinerary that Tezuka had prepared for them.

Ryoma, on the other hand, had no qualms about showing how tired he was. He dragged his feet unenthusiastically as he followed the group. No one seemed to pick up on the real reason behind his exhaustion, though that was probably in partial thanks to Momoshiro, who right away volunteered the explanation of jet lag when someone inquired after the freshman.

Once they got over that first tiring day, Tezuka and Ryoma were able to better enjoy their daytime excursions with the rest of the group in the days that followed. And Tezuka still remained by the freshman's side for the most part like he did that first evening on Kristov Avenue. Though Ryoma was still aware that his teammates noticed their constant proximity to one another, he soon realized that he didn't really mind anymore. After all, if Tezuka, who is usually the anal retentive one, was being blissfully ignorant about the attention they were garnering, then why should he care? In fact, Ryoma noticed that, with the exception of that first afternoon when they first arrived, Tezuka seemed more at ease here than he had ever been back at home. Even his Fuji-senpai had remarked upon it, when they happened to be alone for a brief second on one of the days. "Doesn't Tezuka seem more relaxed and happy than usual?"

"You think?" Ryoma had asked in return.

"Mmm, I'm positive of it," was the tensai's response. "I wonder if it's because he's afforded more freedom here than back in Japan, since we're the only ones around."

Ryoma had instinctively began to ask him what he meant, before stopping himself when the realization dawned on him that he already kind of knew. His understanding had brought a hint of a smile to his lips just as a familiar warm feeling coursed through him.

And though they were healthy teenagers with strong sex drives, the evenings they spent together in Germany weren't only filled with sex. In between their down time, they actually had a chance to bring each other up to speed on what had been going on in their lives. Tezuka was especially grateful for these updates since Ryoma's correspondence left much to be desired.

Their conversations were generally pleasant, interspersed with soft laughter, and even when Ryoma did become annoyed, his irritation was usually directed at something or someone else instead of Tezuka. The only notable exception to this was on Ryoma's third night there: they had finally wandered on to the topic of the Rikkai tournament, which provided Tezuka with the opening he had been waiting for to give his honest critique of Ryoma's performance during that match. Knowing how volatile and sensitive the subject could be for the younger boy, Tezuka tried his best to navigate those waters with a delicate hand. Despite his efforts, he still wasn't completely successful at broaching the matter without treading on Ryoma's nerves.

Tezuka knew he had erred in measuring his words when the freshman's voice suddenly took on a snappish undertone as he demanded, "What do you mean?"

"Only that, I was hoping, that once you were pushed into a corner, your own unique brand of tennis would be set free. I didn't expect to see your past opponents' tennis abilities instead," he explained calmly.

Up until then, they were lying on the bed facing each other as they talked, but right after Tezuka's statement, Ryoma turned away to train his eyes on the ceiling above instead. After a few seconds of silence, he responded nonchalantly, "Who cares if they weren't my moves. I still won, didn't I? Sanada was completely caught off guard."

"True, and that's one of your most valuable assets, your ability to disarm your opponents out of the blue. But surely, your asset would be better served by moves of your own design, rather than others, don't you think?"

"So you're saying my win isn't as meaningful because I just copied others? What's wrong with copying? That's a skill too, isn't it?"

"That is true too, but isn't there someone out there who has already mastered that skill? I believe he's on Jyousei Shounan's team?"

"Yeah, but that's _all_ he has. That's all he could do. I'm better than _that_."

"You could hardly tell from the latter part of your match against Sanada. Not that your ability to improvise wasn't impressive, but take away the awe brought on by the element of surprise, what are you really left with?"

Ryoma did turn to meet his eyes then as he answered resolutely, "A victory for the team. Without it, we would've lost the championship to Rikkai."

"Winning isn't everything," Tezuka insisted gently.

"You're kidding, right? Tell that to the others. Don't you like the medal we brought you?"

"Of course I do. I just…." Tezuka sighed. "I want you to flourish as a player in your own right. I don't want you to be eclipsed by anyone's shadow."

"It's going back to the pillar thing again, isn't it?"

"No, that's not the only thing I think about. This is for you."

Ryoma exhaled a puff of air forcefully. "Mataku. You're worse than the old man and my mom put together sometimes. Even they don't harp on the same thing as often as you do."

"Ryoma…."

"I know, I know, you mean well, buchou, I appreciate it, okay? But is this really the time and place to get into this now? We could talk about this when you're back in Japan, couldn't we?"

Sensing the growing displeasure in the younger boy, Tezuka wisely chose to drop the subject for now. He was still left with a lot of misgivings but decided that Ryoma was right; he address them when he returned to Japan. In the mean time, he should just continue to enjoy the freedom of being the team captain in name only.  
O  
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O

The two of them were able to so quickly become accustomed to being with each other again that when the time came for the group's departure from Germany, both of them were caught unawares. To them, it felt as if it had only been yesterday that Ryoma and the others stepped off the plane.

Despite the palpable sense of regret they felt, they still did not spend their last night together in Germany exchanging uncharacteristic sentimentalities. Instead, they actually turned in early, falling into bed together shortly after they returned from their last group dinner in the city. They did not say much, only concentrated on listening to each other's breathing until they eventually fell asleep, with Ryoma partially spread out across Tezuka and the older boy's arms around him in a loose embrace.

Even the next morning, before they headed down to the bus which would take the group to the airport, Ryoma and Tezuka only came together briefly, with a quick hug and just a few kisses. "I'll continue to send you pictures," Tezuka told him when they separated.

"Oh great, more weird pictures," Ryoma responded, the obvious warmth of the crooked grin he was flashing utterly negated the sarcasm in his words.

When they rejoined the group, the young captain kept his parting words to their coach and the rest of the Regulars brief as well, though the sincerity behind his words were no less heartfelt. No one doubted how Tezuka felt about them coming all the way to Germany to visit him, and how he felt about having once again to say good-bye to them.

As Tezuka watched the bus head out, affording him one last glimpse of Ryoma and the others in the windows before the vehicle turned away, his doctor came up to join him. She stood with him in silence, the two of them watching the bus go back down the private road towards the city and eventually disappearing from view.

As they turned to head back into the center, his doctor smiled up at him curiously and asked, "Why didn't you want them to know that you might be seeing them again in a few weeks, Tezuka-kun? You'll probably be able to visit home for a week or so before you transfer to our Kyushu facility."

With only a ghost of a smile gracing his lips, Tezuka stuck his hands in his pockets before replying in his usual stoic manner, "It's a surprise."

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**Author's Note**: chapter 24 posting date: please see my profile for the latest news...gomen, gomen, gomen x infinity...


	24. Focus Extra II: Valentine's Day

**Rating: G**

**Focus Extra: Valentine's Day is Not Only for Girls**

"Oooochiiibiiii!!!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Echizen winced and immediately quickened his steps, hoping to escape his senpai who was coming up behind him. Kikumaru's voice had been far enough that if he'd just hurried a little, Echizen believed he could round the corner, go down the stairs, and completely lose the other boy behind in the sea of fellow students milling about in the hallway. Thinking he had succeeded in his attempt, he was just a few steps shy of the stairways when he was physically lifted off his feet by Kikumaru, who enveloped him entirely in a hearty tackle glomp from behind.

"Got you!" his senpai shouted triumphantly as he tightened his hold on the freshman and nuzzled him fiercely. Echizen was certain he would end up with bruise on his cheek when this was all done.

"Senpai, let go of me," he grumbled.

"No way, you're gonna run away."

"Eiji, people are staring," Oishi said, though the smile on his face showed that his words hardly held any sense of warning, despite the truth of what he was saying. The two of them being seniors notwithstanding, many of the freshmen also recognized them for who they were. Therefore, in addition to those who were now openly staring and whispering about them, a number of the first year female students were visibly twitter-patted, seeming to be on the verge of springing into action due to their excitement over the presence of the reknowned Golden Pair.

Upon noticing this, Kikumaru loosened his grip slightly. "Fine. If I let go, promise not to run away?" he asked his prey.

"No."

"Then too bad! I'm not letting go!" Ignoring attention, Eiji squeezed him even harder while chortling like a madman.

Finally realizing he would have to relent, Echizen heaved a sigh in resignation and said wearily, "Is this all you wanted, senpai?"

Recalling his initial purpose, Eiji straightened up a bit and said, "Oh yeah! I wanted to ask you something!"

"What?"

Just as he was about to answer, his partner interjected by pointing out, "Eiji, we're in the hallway." He cocked his head purposefully to the side to emphasize the many pairs of eyes and ears that were currently trained on the three of them.

"Right! Forgot! Come on, Ochibi, let's go have a chat somewhere else!" Eiji then turned to Oishi and wondered, "But the question is where. Where do we go, Oishi?"

"Go where for what?" All three boys turned in surprise at the sound of Momoshiro's voice. The second year seemed to have magically appeared by their side.

"Momo!" Kikumaru exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm always here during lunch."

"Momo-senpai doesn't have any friends his own age," Echizen said with a smirk.

"Hey, that's not true. I have plenty of friends my age; I just _choose_ to spend lunch time in the company of my many cute lowerclassmen."

"Hmm, now that I think about it, Echizen's right, Momo. Do you have any friends your age?" Eiji wondered. "And Kaidoh doesn't count cuz he's one of us."

Momoshiro started sputtering in indignation at that. "K-KAIDOH?-! Who would ever count _that_ bastard as a friend? I'd consider someone like Arai a friend before I ever even _think_ of that guy!"

"Arai doesn't count either. He's a club member."

"Whatever. The point is, that stupid viper and I, are NOT friends. Not even _close_."

"All right, all right. Then that brings you back to zero."

"I know Momo-senpai has one friend," Echizen supplied helpfully, "but that person doesn't go to this school." Ryoma flashed a mischievous grin at his senpai, but it took a second for him to even figure out who he was hinting at. When he did, Momoshiro's eyes widened and he instantly made an instinctive grab for the freshman with the intention of covering his mouth shut to prevent him for saying anything else. Unfortunately, Eiji was able to jerk the younger boy away in time. "Who're you talking about, Ochibi?"

"Never mind THAT," Momo interrupted loudly while sending a warning look his kouhai's way, to which Echizen only smirked at, obviously amused by his reaction.

"Look," the second year hastily continued, "I have plenty of friends my age, don't you worry, Eiji-senpai. Putting that aside, weren't we talking about Echizen? Didn't you want to go somewhere with him to talk about something?"

Kikumaru was momentarily torn between pursuing the mystery of Momoshiro's off-campus friend and continuing with his original mission. Deciding that Echizen's matter was more urgent, he made a mental note to grill the second year later as he said, "That's right, I did need to talk to Echizen about something very important."

"What is it, what is it?" Momo inquired eagerly.

"Not here. Everybody's listening. We have to find somewhere more private. You got any suggestions, Momo?"

Momo needed only to consider the question for a moment before an idea struck him. Grinning widely at Echizen, whose brow immediately furrowed in suspicion, the second year announced, "I think I have the perfect place. But first, do you senpais know where the captain is right now?"

Oishi replied, "He's at a student council meeting. Why?"

"Ah, perfect. Then I'm sure it's the perfect place. Right, Echizen?"

Guessing right away what he was talking about, Ryoma only glared at his senpai, refusing to answer at first, though when Eiji started prodding him, he eventually had to concede and reply, "The roof." He wished he could wipe the smug look off of Momoshiro's face; if only he had his racket and a tennis ball in hand. He wondered how the second year knew that he would oftentimes meet with Tezuka on the roof during lunch time. Surely he wasn't spying on them again?

"Ooh! Great suggestion! Let's go, let's go!" Eiji jumped up and down excitedly before grabbing Echizen by the hand and leading the way.

"Senpai, I can walk myself."

Eiji twittered happily. "Trying to escape again? No such luck."

Their journey up to their destination earned as many looks as the scene in the hallway since Echizen was being led by the hand like a little kid, much to his chagrin. He was greatly relieved when they reached the roof and Kikumaru finally relinquished his hold.

"Wait, first let's make sure no one's around. Oishi, I'll check this side, you check the other side."

As the two seniors hurried around to perform a quick check of their surroundings, Echizen turned to Momoshiro and inquired quietly about how he knew about the roof.

Momo shrugged, slightly embarrassed, and whispered back, "I followed you once, got as far as the last stairway before I got discovered by the captain while he was coming up to meet you."

"Hmmph." Echizen folded his arms across his chest and upon Kikumaru's return, questioned, "So, what did you want, Eiji-senpai?"

"All right, now down to business. Echizen, do you know what tomorrow is?" The senior planted his two fists against his hips and bent forward to loom over the shorter boy in an attempt to seem imposing.

"Hmm?" the freshman responded absently, "No. What?"

"'_What'_? What, he says! See, Oishi, I _told_ you he wouldn't remember!"

"You're right, you're right," his friend muttered good-naturedly.

"Ah!" Momoshiro smacked his fist against the palm of his hand. "I know! Eiji-senpai, it's Valentine's Day! That's it, right?"

"You got it, Momo! What are you going to do about it, Ochibi?"

"Do what?"

"What do you mean 'do what'? I'm talking about Tezuka of course! It's your first official Valentine's Day together. You're gonna give him something, right?"

Echizen frowned. "Me? Why?"

"_Why_? You're joking, right?"

"You're supposed to give him chocolate, Echizen!" Momoshiro cried, Kikumaru's excitement was obviously spreading. "Surely you know that much!"

"Why do I have to give him chocolate? Over here, isn't that the girl's duty? I'm not a girl."

"Of course you're not," Eiji said haughtily, "But you can't be expecting _Tezuka_ to be the one giving you chocolate, can you?"

"Why not?"

"Why not? Why NOT?" Like Eiji, Momoshiro was quickly becoming apoplectic with emotion so Oishi realized it was time for him to step in and calm them down.

"You were planning to celebrate it, right, Echizen?" the senior said gently.

The freshman shrugged. "Hadn't thought of it," he said truthfully. "Anyway, why do you senpais even care? That's something between the two of us, isn't it? Shouldn't we be the ones deciding if we wanted to do anything?"

Oishi winced a little. He had tried to talk his friend out of bringing up the matter for that very reason, but when it was obvious Eiji just couldn't let the issue go, he realized the second best thing he could do was to at least keep an eye on his partner to make sure he didn't go overboard.

"Well obviously it was a good thing I reminded you!" Kikumaru was saying presently, "You didn't even know it's tomorrow!"

"I probably would've figured it out. No wonder the girls have been more noisy than usual."

"Listen here, Ochibi, you should take this seriously. It's a pretty special occasion, you know? Your first Valentine's Day. You should get him something."

"Like I said, it's for girls, isn't it? We're both guys. Plus, I don't think that guy even cares about stuff like that."

"It's not a matter of girl and guy or guy and guy, or whether or not Tezuka-buchou is expecting anything! The fact of it is you're a…," Momoshiro staggered a bit, "…a couple. So that's why it's a meaningful day for you two." His cheeks were heating up; he felt slightly awkward since half of the couple happened to be Tezuka, whom he held in high respect. He always felt a bit odd thinking about the two of them together, when he wasn't downright perplexed and shocked by the fact.

"If you don't get him something tomorrow, you'll be sorry when he gets you something on White Day," Eiji warned him.

"I still don't understand why _I _have to be the one even getting him anything."

"Because…because…well, _look _at you!" his senpai flung a hand in his direction as if that would help illuminate the point. "Isn't it _obvious_? Not to mention, you're younger than him so it's only right."

"Somehow, I think I should feel insulted," Echizen mumbled grumpily.

"Now, now," Oishi said appeasingly. "Despite how he's saying it, you know Eiji means well. He just wants to make sure you're prepared for tomorrow."

"So that's all? You guys dragged me up here just to talk about that?"

"What? You don't think that's an important issue?" Eiji demanded.

Echizen sighed. "You senpais have too much time on your hands."

"And you are being very uncute, Echizen. Here I was all worried for you and this is the thanks I get?"

"Ah, then thank you very much, senpai. I'm going back to lunch now."

The lack of sincerity did not fool Eiji one bit but he made no move to stop the younger boy as he headed toward the exit. Instead he simply reiterated his point by calling out one last time, "Ochibi, don't forget, it's tomorrow! You still have time to get him something."

The only response he got was a small, dismissive wave from the receding figure before the other boy disappeared down the stairway. Lips pursed in disapproval, Eiji turned back to his two companions and muttered, "Very uncute."

"Do you think that worked, senpai?" Momoshiro wondered.

Eiji flung his hands up in surrender. "I don't know! I tried my best! What else could I do?"

Fearing what that question might lead to in case he did give it further consideration, Oishi tried to quickly stop that line of thought by saying eagerly, "I'm sure that worked. Echizen probably did forget what tomorrow is, but now that you've reminded him, I'm sure he'll do something about it."

"Oh! Oishi! I just thought of something else! Do you think Tezuka remembers?"

Oishi started and then groaned inwardly. "You're not going to ask him, are you, Eiji," he questioned warily.

"Should I? It wouldn't hurt, would it?"

Just as the senior began panicking as his mind was drawing a blank for an excuse to deter him, he was relieved of his worries by none other than Momoshiro, who accidentally came to his rescue by pointing out, "Wait, Eiji-senpai, if Echizen's the one giving the Valentine's Day chocolate, why would you want to tell Tezuka-buchou about it? Wouldn't that ruin the surprise?"

Oishi almost expelled a breath in relief when Kikumaru responded in agreement. "Oh yeah, you're right, Momoshiro! I almost forgot about that." He then giggled and said wistfully, "But don't you wish you could see the look on Tezuka's face when Ochibi gives him his Valentine's Day chocolate? I bet it'd be hilarious. Or completely adorable."

"I don't think I want to imagine," Momoshiro said honestly, practically shuddering at the thought of Tezuka with an expression on his face resembling anything close to being adorable. In his mind, the words "Tezuka" and "adorable" simply did not belong together and he would rather keep it that way. "Anyway, we've done our best. All we could do now is wait and see what happens. We could ask Echizen later on."

"_After_ tomorrow," Oishi stated firmly, "At least wait until after tomorrow."

"Aw, Oishi! Can't we spy on them? We could wait until after practice and follow them to see—"

"Absolutely not, Eiji!" his friend interjected. "That's very inappropriate."

Momoshiro chuckled. "It's very tempting, isn't it, Eiji-senpai? But I have to agree with Oishi-senpai. You don't want to accidentally ruin the mood, you know?"

Eiji pouted mildly, reluctant to give up on the idea that quickly. "Maybe I should ask Inui if he's interested," he mused.

Oishi finally did emit a heavy sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head slowly. "Eiji, you can't be serious."

"Geez, Oishi, I'm just kidding," it was Kikumaru's turn to shake his head at his friend's obvious distress. "You're such a worrywart. Don't worry, I'll leave them alone. Momo's got a point. I'll just wait until the day after to torture Ochibi for information. Happy?"

"Please do."

Deciding he had accomplished his objective to his satisfaction, Eiji now directed his full attention to the second year and what Echizen had brought up earlier. "So, Momo, who is it? Who's this _friend_ from another school that Echizen was talking about, huh? Don't think I didn't notice how flustered you got. Is it a girl?"

Momo jerked in surprise, feeling suddenly cornered. _Damn that Echizen for bringing it up_! "I don't know who he was talking about, Eiji-senpai," was his nervous reply, his attempt at feigning ignorance rather unsuccessful.

"Don't give me that. Is it Tachibana's sister? It's her, isn't it? You two are dating, aren't you?"

"Whaaat?-!" Momoshiro was now in a genuine panic. His eyes darted past the senior to the doorway behind him, praying for the lunch bell to sound. "What would make you think that, senpai?"

"What's the big deal, if it's her, you should just admit it. She's cute, you should be proud to be dating her."

"But I'm not!" Momo replied, his voice cracking from desperation.

"Then why are you so nervous?"

"I'm not nervous."

"Look at you, you're practically sweating! So do _you_ have plans for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? What? I just…I've gotta go, senpai. I think the lunch bell just rang."

"No, it didn't."

"Yes, it did. Oishi-senpai, you heard it too, right? Anyway, I'm gonna go."

"Wait, I didn't hear…hey! Momo! Wait up! Where are you going? Hey! Oishi stop him! Don't let him get away before answering!"

Ignoring his senpai's calls, the second year hurried away and back to the rest of civilization, still cursing the freshman for bringing up the matter in the first place. He knew it would be a long while before Eiji would give up and leave him alone regarding the subject, if he ever did. Based on the ease by which Eiji brought up Tachibana's sister, which was of course not the first time he had done so, he was certain that the notion had always been at the back of the senior's mind, and all it took was Echizen's simple suggestion to bring it rushing back to the foreground and become an item of focus for the older boy. He would have to find a way to repay Echizen for the unpleasant favor, but for now, all he could do is avoid the topic and hope that his senpai would keep the thought to himself. Last thing he needed was for someone like Inui to catch on to the idea and start bugging him about it as well.

Momoshiro winced. That would be the worst, definitely.

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Despite his flippant attitude earlier, Ryoma was annoyed to find that his senpai's message had found its mark somewhat. For the rest of the day, much to his displeasure, he found his mind returning to that conversation again and again. He really had not known that it was Valentine's Day tomorrow; he hadn't been paying much attention to the ruckus around him, though in retrospect, all that made more sense to him now. Even though he was used to the day being a mutual gift exchange opportunity when he was in America, he of course never purposefully took part in any of the related activities, so he rarely paid attention to when it arose until it was actually upon him. Usually, he would be reminded when someone—girls mostly—would present him with some frivolous offering on that day. He never felt obliged to reciprocate the sentiment; he had no control over what people chose to waste their time and money on, so why should he be expected to give something back in return?

His disdain for the occasion was still very much alive, so the fact that he would spare even a second of his time thinking about it was upsetting, to say the least. Yet sure enough, the thought reared its ugly head every now and then, not only throughout the rest of his classes, but also during tennis practice as well. He felt that he should be confident in the belief that Tezuka would never be expecting anything from him on such a lame man-made holiday, especially since he was not the female counterpart in their relationship. Neither was Tezuka as far as he was concerned. He had long since recognized that they were equals, he had no problems in maintaining that balance, therefore, why would either of them be expected to give the other person the traditional gift on Valentine's Day? It was silly and meaningless to them as neither of them were the type of person to engage in such behavior.

Given that, Ryoma was therefore rather dismayed when he found himself texting the older boy to tell him that he had something to do and that he would meet up with him later at his house. He was actually already in the library, waiting for Tezuka to finish his meeting with Ryuzaki, when midway through the many thoughts he had throughout the day culminated in a sudden impulse to do something that was completely contrary to every fiber of his being.

He hardly waited for Tezuka's response in the affirmative before heading purposefully for the place he had in mind. Gliding on the impulse that motivated him to send the text in the first place, he mentally squashed any further doubts in his mind on the matter. He was never one to waffle back and forth on his decisions, and he'd be damned if he was going to start doing that now, no matter what the repercussions.

Not until he stood before his destination did his mind suddenly falter, his determination diminishing quickly by the second from the sight of the crowd inside the confectionary store. He had been prepared for a few schoolgirls, but he was not at all prepared for the _hordes _of giggling females that he was met with. He stood rooted to his spot in front of the store in shock. Was it always like this the day before Valentine's Day? He had never noticed before. Then again, when was the last time he had visited a candy shop? He never had much of a sweet tooth, so really the only reason he had ever needed to even come to this place was the very few times that Momoshiro was struck with the craving for something sweet when they used to walk home together after practice. Of course, since those times fell on just random days, the store was much less occupied.

The longer he watched he throngs of females inside, the more horrified he became at the thought of immersing himself amongst that crowd. Really, why were there so many of them? From the pieces of conversation he had picked up these last couple of days, didn't girls usually like to make their own chocolates? What happened to that part of the tradition?

He then got to thinking again as to why was he even doing this. Hadn't he already decided that the two of them weren't wired this way? Why was he putting himself in the ridiculous position where he was even considering stepping foot into the type of environment where normally he couldn't be paid enough to enter? This was stupid.

Pursing his lips tightly, he did an about-face and started on his way towards Tezuka's house.

He had only gone a short distance before suddenly stopping in his tracks again and stood frowning. He did come all this way, after all, was he really going to return empty-handed? He did not think he would have any regrets later, but it seemed such a waste of his efforts to simply give up and go. He hated backing down once he made up his mind. What happened to his earlier pinache? Was he really going to be scared off by a bunch of stupid girls? None of whom even knew who he was? When did ever care about what other people thought about him? He was sure to be met with plenty of inquisitive looks, but when did a little staring ever bother him? He was used to people training their attention on him. In this instance, not that he could really blame them for wondering about him. As far as he could tell, all the customers in the store were women, so of course he'd look out of place there with them.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to try again, but then halted when he caught sight of two familiar figures entering the shop: Ryuzaki's grand-daughter and her annoying friend. Great. They were the last people he wanted to bump into right now. Of course they had to choose this time of day to get their silly chocolates, he thought wryly.

Deciding that the two girls' arrival was probably a sign for him to truly give up on his current endeavor, he turned away again with the full intention to give up completely when his eyes spotted a familiar logo. Of course! Who said chocolate had to come from a candy store anyway? There was plenty of chocolate at a convenience store! He was sure to find _something_ inside. Relieved that he was able to come up with an alternate solution to his problem, Ryoma headed for his new destination with renewed purpose.

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"Wow, buchou, you sure are popular with the girls," Echizen teased as he peered into each of the three bags that Tezuka had carried back from school with him. Each bag was practically filled to the brim with small nicely wrapped boxes; the smell of chocolate was apparent even though the packages had not yet been opened.

"You didn't do so bad yourself," Tezuka pointed out as he nodded at the bag Ryoma had just set down on the floor beside his bed.

"One bag to your three…you win. Do you always get this much?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I wish I didn't though."

"Ne, so on White Day, are you gonna have to give each of them something in return?"

The older boy shook his head. "I never do. I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea."

"How sad for them."

"What about you? Are you going to return the favor on that day?"

"Of course not! What a stupid idea."

Tezuka chuckled softly. After a beat, he suddenly started getting up from the floor. "I forgot something," he said as he left the room. "I'll be right back."

Echizen busied himself with looking through his loot as he waited for the senior to return. If he'd known he would receive so many chocolates today, he could've taken one of them and given it to Tezuka instead of going through the trouble of trying to buy one on his own yesterday.

Ryoma was in the middle of opening one of the boxes when Tezuka came back. Instead of looking up, he simply asked, "What'd you forget?"

Tezuka bent down and deposited a small container in front of the freshman wordlessly before regaining his original seat on the floor beside him. Ryoma stopped what he was doing and stared at the container, which was actually a black bento box. The cover had a Maneki neko painted in gold with intricate designs on its fur. "What's that?"

"Open it."

Already guessing what was inside, the corner of Echizen's lips twitched upward in a smirk as he picked up the box and removed the cover to reveal the unevenly shaped balls of chocolate sitting inside. "They're ugly. You made them yourself?"

"Smartass." Tezuka tried to reach out for the box to take it back but Echizen easily moved it out of the way. "They're not ugly. They're truffles. They're supposed to look like that. Yes. I made them myself."

"When?"

"Last night."

"After I left?"

"Of course."

A pause. "Why?"

Tezuka cocked his head to the side, mildly puzzled by the question. "What do you mean why? It's appropriate for the occasion, don't you think?"

"I guess."

Seeing that his answer did not seem to fully satisfy the freshman, the young captain thought about it for a minute more and finally added, "I've never celebrated Valentine's Day before, and I guess White Day would have been more suitable for something like this, but in the end, I decided that I simply wanted to. I felt like making you something good to eat for today."

"Huh," was the only response Echizen came up with to that. He popped one of the tasty morsels into his mouth and instead of chewing, simply waited for the rich chocolate to melt away on his tongue. "Not bad," he decided after a moment.

Tezuka, quite used to the younger boy's various expressions by now, was not fooled by his nonchalance one bit. Instead of directly commenting on it, however, he simply responded with, "I'm glad you like it." On an impulse, he bent forward and pressed his lips quickly against Echizen's forehead. He had been prepared for the usual dose of Ryoma's teasing commentary; in fact, he was fully expecting it after such an act of what the freshman would no doubt deem as corniness. He was therefore happy to see that the other boy seemed to truly enjoy his gift, even if he didn't want to acknowledge the silly sentiments behind it.

He was further surprised when, after a brief silence, Echizen stated quietly, "I was going to get you something too."

"Really?"

Ryoma nodded as he consumed a second truffle. "Yesterday."

"Ah. That's what you were doing. I was actually a little worried since you seemed a bit upset at first when you came over. What happened?"

Echizen shrugged. "Nothing. Changed my mind at the last minute." Truth be told, he actually felt rather irked at himself for obviously over-thinking the issue, and equally irked at Tezuka for the apparent ease by which he made his decision. Not that he felt any guilt for not going through with his purchase in the end, he just hated it when Tezuka got the upper-hand.

"Guess I'll have to get you something for White Day then," the freshman muttered, fake resignation tingeing his voice.

"You don't have to."

"I know. Just don't expect it to be home-made like this."

Tezuka smiled. "Of course not."

"By the way, I prefer milk chocolate instead of dark," Echizen informed him as he started leaning forward towards the other boy.

"I'll keep that in mind for next year," the young captain replied softly as he met his kiss halfway.

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**Author's Note**: ten thousand years later, I finally return with this unworthy offering which I am still posting a day later than what I had originally intended. Though this was just a short dribble, if nothing else, I hope it has at least restored your faith in my words when I said I haven't given up on the Focus yet and I do intend to continue. In fact, expect a fuller update in a few weeks. I am actually working on an extensive revision of previous chapters, mainly to clean up any remaining mistakes and plot blunders. I will try my best to not make any changes to the core content, but knowing me and my tendency to mess with things that probably don't need to be messed with, I don't know if I can really hold myself to that promise. Let's just say if you really, really like the current version of the chapters, I would save them on your hard drive now.


	25. Focus Extra II: White Day

**Rating: G**

**Focus Extra: It's the Thought**

Last Sunday:

Echizen's brow furrowed deeper as he continued to peer into the horrifyingly cheerful interior of the candy shop he was standing in front of. Beside him, Momoshiro mirrored his expression since he also realized what they were up against.

Giving him a nudge with his elbow, the second year said, "Hey, Echizen, do we really have to go in?"

Echizen glanced up at him and reminded him, "You said you needed something too, Momo-senpai."

"I know, but not like I can help it! Isn't that the stupid rule? You get chocolate on Valentine's Day so you have to get the same thing for the other person on White Day?"

"Not really. You could get chocolate or better to return the favor, depending on your sentiments." Startled by the sound of the voice behind them, the two boys spun around to come face to face with Fuji.

"Fuji-senpai!" Momoshiro squawked, "What are you doing here?-!"

"For the same reason you're here," he answered easily. His smile widened a little as he addressed Echizen directly, "Buying chocolate for Tezuka, Echizen?"

Never one to forfeit a chance at teasing his kouhai, Momo snickered and supplied eagerly, "He sure is! Isn't that just cute?"

Glaring at him, Ryoma pointed out irritably, "Momo-senpai's buying chocolate for someone too."

"Is that so?" Fuji said with interest, "I see. Eiji did mention that you had a special friend at another school. Is that who you're getting chocolate for?"

Predictably, Momo instantly became flustered and nervous at the mention of his other senpai. "Crap! Fuji-senpai! Please don't tell Eiji-senpai you saw me here!"

The tensai feigned mild confusion. "You don't want Eiji to know you're here, or you don't want him to know you're here to buy chocolate for someone for White Day?"

"Either way, just please don't say anything! I'll never hear the end of it!"

Fuji tipped his head up in mock contemplation. "I don't know. Wouldn't he be very excited and happy if I tell him?"

"Yes but I wouldn't be!" the second year said pleadingly. "Fuji-senpai! Pleeeease?-!"

After carrying out the torture for a few seconds more, the other boy finally emitted quiet laugh and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry. I won't say anything to anyone."

Momo face lit up with tentative optimism. "Really, Fuji-senpai? You really won't?"

"It's our little secret, I promise."

Visibly relieved, Momo breathed, "Thank you, senpai. I know I could trust you."

"All right, all right. So, shall we go in?"

As soon as they set foot in the shop, Echizen grimaced. He felt almost bombarded with flowery cuteness everywhere he turned. Banners with effeminately fancy designs were dangling from practically every ceiling tile, screaming at him that White Day was approaching, and that THIS item would be the PERFECT gift for THAT SPECIAL PERSON. The freshman looked around the store distastefully. It was almost as if they had stockpiled their arsenal of obnoxiousness just to unleash it completely for special occasions like Valentine's Day and White Day.

"Did you have something in mind?" Fuji was asking him.

Echizen shrugged as he continued to look about him, slightly perturbed that the senior was practically hovering about him. "Weren't you going to get something too, Fuji-senpai?" he said pointedly, hoping that would be enough of a distraction to prevent the older boy from looking over his shoulder the entire time.

"Yes, but I could help you choose something first if you'd like."

"No, thanks. I'll manage."

Echizen doubted his simple words would be enough to dissuade the older boy from his no doubt less than altruistic intentions, but surprisingly, Fuji actually relented easily and directed his attention to Momoshiro instead, who was indeed feeling helpless and was unabashedly showing it. "Do you need help, Momo?" the senior offered.

Momo's gaze began darting all over the place, seemingly incapable of deciding where it actually wanted to land. "I have no idea."

"All right, let's start with, what kind of chocolate does she like?"

Immediately alarmed, Momo cried, "'She'? Who said it was a girl?"

"It's a boy?"

"No! Of course not!"

"But you just said…."

Feeling completely defenseless in his current environment, Momo could only whine, "Look, it doesn't matter, senpai, can you just please…just have mercy? This one time?"

Seeing the desperate, cornered look on the second year's face, Fuji had to oblige, though not without one more chuckle at the other boy's expense.

"All right, putting the gender issue aside," Fuji said, "What kind of chocolate does that person like?"

Momo's eyes darted around again. "I don't know," he replied a brief moment later.

"What kind of chocolate were you thinking of getting?"

"I don't know," he repeated mechanically.

"Mmmm, all right. How about…what color does that person like?"

That seemed to cause Momoshiro to panic even more. "I don't know! I have no idea!"

"It's okay. We'll do this another way. How much were you planning to spend?"

"Um, what's the right amount?"

"I don't think there is a right amount. It really depends on you."

The second year instantly pulled out his wallet and rummaged through it hastily. He frowned at the sad sum of bills he had in his hands, which comprised of his entire allowance for the week. Since he was still dependent on his parents for his weekly allowance, what he had was basically what was given to him for the coming week. He felt even more helpless as he eyed the price tags that were within his view and realized he had very little to spare.

Immediately understanding his expression, Fuji tried to comfort him by saying, "Of course, in the end, it's really the feelings behind the gift that matters, so I'm sure that person will be happy no matter what you get them. As I was saying before, chocolate isn't the only option. In fact, any type of gift would suffice as long as it is chosen and given to the person with the utmost sincerity."

"Wow, Fuji-senpai, that's really nice," Momo said, truly impressed, "Really nice. No wonder you're so popular."

"I am? Thank you."

"That is nice," Echizen parroted thoughtfully. As Fuji was asking Momo those questions, he had also been trying to come up with answers for Tezuka as well, only to find that he wasn't really sure either. The truth of the matter was, he didn't think Tezuka had a preference when it came to chocolate. He didn't think Tezuka was crazy about sweets in general, but in the few instances where he had consumed chocolate, he didn't seem to be that picky about what type of chocolate he ate. As for favorite color, Echizen didn't think Tezuka had one. Or if he did, he had never possessed the need to ask him what it was. And since in terms of the spending limit, he was basically in the same boat as Momoshiro, after hearing Fuji's words, Echizen quickly came to the conclusion that he was probably not going to find anything suitable in this awful place, nor did he really _need_ to anyhow.

Fuji was studying him curiously, his head tilted to the side. "You look like you've come to some sort of decision, Echizen," he stated intuitively.

"That's right. I'm leaving," Echizen announced with satisfaction as he took one final look around.

"Eh?-!" Momo exclaimed in disbelief. "What d'you mean you're leaving?"

The younger boy shrugged. "I don't need anything here."

"How do you know? We barely got here!"

"I know."

"So? What're you gonna get the captain instead?"

"Don't worry, I have something."

"I want to know what it is!" Momo demanded.

"No. You continue on. See you tomorrow, senpais."

Feeling somewhat betrayed and abandoned, Momo cried, "You damned brat! Hey, Echizen! What about me? I still haven't gotten anything! I thought you were gonna help me!"

Unfortunately, the freshman was already exiting the store, completely relieved that this bit of unpleasantness was soon to be over. At his senpai's words, he simply turned his head and called out over his shoulder, "I'm sure Fuji-senpai will help you find something." He raised his hand in a brief wave as he finished with a nonchalant, "Good luck, senpai!"

O

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White Day:

"Hey, catch."

Tezuka held up his hand just in time to prevent the small package that Ryoma had tossed his way from hitting his face. "What is this?" he questioned as he stared at the rectangular box in his hands that was wrapped in shiny red foil wrapping paper and a silver ribbon which was tied in a neat little bow.

"What do you think?" Echizen said sarcastically.

"Oh, that's right. White Day."

"Like you really didn't know. It was all over school today."

Tezuka smiled. "Of course I know. I just didn't think you'd actually get me anything."

"I said I would last month, didn't I?"

They were in Tezuka's bedroom again, with the older boy sitting on the floor beside his bed. Ryoma moved past him to plop himself belly down on top of the mattress. He yawned loudly and folded his arms, resting his head on top of them.

Tezuka was still studying the box, a faint smile playing about his lips. "Did you wrap this yourself?" he said shortly after.

"Why? What difference does it make?"

"None. It's nice." Tezuka tilted his head up to meet his eyes. "Thank you."

Ryoma only grunted in reply as he closed his eyes and sighed contently as he relaxed. He heard the sound of the wrapping paper being undone, followed by a brief silence. At the sound of Tezuka's soft chuckle, Echizen mumbled without opening his eyes, "Like it?"

"Yes, but…did you actually open this to see what's inside?" There was more than a touch of mirth in Tezuka's tone.

"Hmm?" the freshman said lazily as he shifted a little to burrow further into the comforter. The familiar scent of Tezuka's bed never failed to make him drowsy with comfort. "Why? It's chocolate, isn't it?"

"It is, but if you had actually opened the package, you would probably have also seen this."

At the sensation of something being held in front of his face, Ryoma cracked open one eye to see what it was. His head then shot up completely at the sight of the card Tezuka was dangling before him. In glittering red ink was written he following:

Happy Valentine's Day, Tezuka-kun!

I hope you can enjoy my efforts!

Nakamura Fumiko, Class 3-D

The words stood out like an accusation. Echizen grabbed the card out of Tezuka's hand and stared at it in disbelief as he quickly sat up. "What's this?"

Not even bothering to smother the laughter in his voice, the young captain answered good-naturedly, "What does it look like?"

Realizing he was caught red-handed, Ryoma scowled down at the card before emitting a resigned curse. "Damn it."

Tezuka chuckled again. "You recycled someone else's Valentine's Day gift. To me, no less."

Directing his scowl at him, Ryoma grumbled, "Yes. That's obvious, isn't it?"

Tezuka shook his head, utterly amused. "How did you get this?" he said, indicating the box of chocolates, which were also very obviously of the home-made variety based on the number of misshapen failures. Sadly, though definite effort was expended by Miss Nakamura, the actual artistry of shaping the cocoa confectionary into aesthetically appealing forms was obviously beyond her means.

"You offered me some, remember? The stuff you brought back on Valentine's Day."

"So you kept them until now to give back to me for White Day?" Tezuka couldn't help laughing.

Growing more annoyed by the second, both at himself for being so careless as to not have even checked the contents of the damned box before handing it out as a gift, and at Tezuka for being so damned amused by the whole thing, Ryoma reached out and demanded, "All right, give it back." He wasn't about to explain that in a repeat of Valentine's Day, he did try to get something store-bought for Tezuka but once again, decided not to go through with it at the last minute. He doubted that lame excuse would help him regain his lost dignity.

Still chuckling, Tezuka replied, "Why?"

"What do you think? Give it back, I'll get you something else."

"No, it's fine. I like it."

"Don't be stupid, why would you?"

"Because it's what you're giving to me for today."

"But it's not even _mine_. It's this…Nakamura person."

"It is yours. If you had known about the card inside, you would have removed it, wouldn't you?"

"Of course."

"Therefore, this is what you intended to give me for today and I gladly accept. I really like it."

His magnanimous words only caused Ryoma to glower even more. "Hey, are you trying to make me feel bad or something?"

Tezuka cocked his head to the side and smiled. "Not at all. Why? Do you feel bad?"

"You wish," the younger boy shot back grumpily. Returning to his previous prone position on top of the bed, he continued in a brusque fashion, "Fine. Keep it. Hope you enjoy it. Happy White Day."

Though his words were barely intelligible as he muttered them against his folded arms, Tezuka was still able to hear them loud and clear. As he continued to gaze at the younger boy with unconscious warmth in his eyes, Tezuka reached under his bed and pulled out the small box that he had set there this morning.

"Happy White Day to you too," he said gently as he placed his offering next to Ryoma's head.

Lifting his head again, Ryoma stared blankly at the box before him. It was an exact replica of the one he received from the senior a month ago and he had no doubt as to what its contents held.

"You actually made me milk chocolate truffles this time?" he said, sounding almost accusatory.

"That's what you like, right?"

"You said you'll make me that next year."

Tezuka shrugged. "I changed my mind."

Following another brief silence during which he continued frowning at the gift, Echizen finally said in surrender, "What's wrong with you?"

Instead of answering directly, Tezuka got up off the floor and joined Ryoma on the bed, stretching out on top of him so that he could envelope the younger boy completely with his own body.

His body already automatically turning into the embrace, Ryoma gave up completely. Once again, Tezuka was the victor but he couldn't even find it in himself to really be that annoyed about it. In fact, he could barely conceal the warmth in his voice he stated gruffly, "You are such a sap, Kuni-chan."

The only response he got in return was the soft chuckling breath he felt against the crook of his neck.

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**Author's Note**: I know, this was not the fuller update you were expecting, but I just couldn't let White Day pass completely without offering _something_. Sorry it's a bit late…I actually finished it in time for the actual occasion for once, but of course, as Fate would have it, was having technical problems so I couldn't upload it until now. Sigh.

Anyway, it's complete fluff and gooey sweetness once again, but I daresay you might want to enjoy it while you can because it might be a while before you will get that again. Yes, hint hint hint hint. Thar be storm clouds ahead…bwahahahaha….


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